A new way to inform residents about how social care services are performing has been published by West Sussex County Council.
The Local Account showcases the service’s work over the past year, demonstrating achievements, priorities and challenges and explains how the budget was spent.
Customers and carers played a key role in the development and design of the document.
The Local Account rates the services against other English councils and highlights many successful areas of work, including the Specialist Day Services, which supports people with complex and longer-term needs, and the ‘Safe Place’ scheme, which works closely with town centre shops and businesses to help people with learning disabilities feel confident when out alone.
It also shows that from 2011-12, the County Council supported more than 11,600 adults to live in the county with services provided or commissioned by Adults’ Services.
A commitment to enabling people to live as independently and safely as possible and play an active part in their communities is high on the County Council’s agenda as is as is increasing customer choice and control. As a demonstration nearly 20 per cent of adults with learning disabilities in the county are in paid employment compared with a national average of only seven per cent.
It also makes it clear that the County Council is committed to further development of the health and wellbeing programme to ensure that everyone can access information and advice on keeping healthy and well.
Peter Catchpole, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Adults’ Services, said: “This is a vitally important document that demonstrates how well we are performing to the public and our customers.
“We have had many challenges and will continue to do so in this difficult economic climate, but we compare very favourably against other councils as you can see in this important document.”
To find out more about the report visit the {http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/default.aspx|West Sussex County Council website| West Sussex County Council wesbite}.
