Cheshire West and Chester Council is encouraging residents and carers who access support in their communities to share their views on current services and what they’d like to see in the future.

Working in partnership with NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, the Council currently offers, through providers, a range of services to ensure everyone can remain healthy and independent for as long as possible and access the right support at the right time.

Community-based services can range from befriending schemes, wellbeing activities and carer breaks to more intense support with long-term conditions, following a stay in hospital, help and care at home and rehabilitation.

The consultation, which has now launched will ask for people’s views on the council’s proposal to create a more co-ordinated single service with an increased focus on prevention and partnership working.

The vision for the new service includes the development of a single all age carers service, the creation of a community grant scheme and a home support service – enabling people to stay in their homes for longer and receive help following hospital stays. It will have an increased focus on targeted support services delivered in the community to support those with long term conditions.

Cabinet member for adult social care and health, Councillor Val Armstrong, said: “Support services within the community are so valued by those that use them and we want to make sure that they are flexible to meet changing demand and deliver the best help they can.

“Services are currently provided through 23 organisations, which can be confusing for those trying to access them. This is also not the most cost-effective way to ensure that residents are receiving the best services possible. We believe that the support available, and the ways to access it, would be much easier to understand if they were under one service.

“We want to support and invest in our wide variety of community providers, making sure that we are working as closely as we can with our community, health and hospital partners to make it as easy as possible for residents to access the right support.

“I would encourage residents to please share their views and help us shape this service to make sure that it offers the best support possible.”

Current community led care support services are made up of:

• information and advice, support services and activities such as community good neighbour and befriending schemes,
• services that are targeted at those at risk of developing, or those who have existing disabilities and long-term health conditions such as mental health issues and people with dementia and their carers,
• rehabilitation and reablement services that support people when they leave hospital.

Carers support services are provided separately and are made up of a carers support and information service, carer breaks service and a young carers service for those between the ages of six and 18.

There are a number of ways to take part:

• complete the survey
• complete a paper questionnaire and send responses back to: Community Led Care and Carers Consultation, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Council Offices, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BE,
• email views to: [email protected]
• telephone the Council’s Contact Centre on 0300 123 8 123 and quote ‘Community Led Care and Carers Consultation’,
• request a copy of our consultation in alternative formats, including hard copy and easy read, using the contact details above,
• book on to a focus session via telephone interviews by appointment.

People will be able to share their views up to Sunday 19th June.