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Social
care in Liverpool is “good”
LIVERPOOL has
retained its “good” social services rating, and independent
inspectors say the capacity for further improvement is “promising”.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has again graded
Liverpool as a 2 star authority on a scale of 0 to 3, and
highlighted several areas in which the city council has improved
over the last year.
The report says the local authority now “performs well”
in
helping people live at home and in providing intensive home care –
and concludes it has meant a reduction in the number of people
admitted into long-term care. It also highlights joint work
with the NHS which has led to improved speedy recovery from illness,
and a reduction in the number of days people with long-term
conditions spend in hospital. In addition, it says more people
are being discharged from hospital as soon as they are fit and well
enough rather than causing bed-blocking.
Councillor Dave Antrobus, executive member for health and adult
social care, said:- “I am absolutely delighted that this
independent report concludes that we have continued to make progress
in raising standards. We face significant challenges in
delivering social care in Liverpool, but the hard work and
co-operation between the city council and partners such as the PCT
is making a massive difference in improving the quality of care for
vulnerable people.”
CSCI welcomes the “effective leadership and good corporate and
political support” within the service, and concludes that
there is “increasing evidence” that the city council is
becoming “more inclusive, more responsive and more proactive
in meeting the needs of the city’s residents”. The
council’s record on providing small items and adaptations for people
within 7 days is noted. Support for carers is described as “good”,
and the report highlights the recent opening of a carers centre as
an example. And the recent investment in residential and
community treatment for people with drug and alcohol related
problems is praised for contributing to an improvement in their
health.
Executive director of community services, Tony Hunter, said:-
“Over the last 12 months we have continued to drive up standards and
create a service that provides early intervention, is integrated
with the NHS and allows us to stop problems becoming crises. I
am proud of the commitment of our staff to improving and delivering
top quality services for the most vulnerable in Liverpool.
There are still a number of challenges but I am confident we are in
a good position to improve further and help an increasing number of
people live how they want in safety and comfort.”
The report highlights a number of areas for development, including:-
Effective financial monitoring;
Workforce development and training;
Improving contract monitoring arrangements;
Reducing the waiting
times for major adaptations;
Further reducing the number of
delayed discharges from hospital.
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FEAR OF WINTER BILLS CAUSING OLDER PEOPLE TO RISK THEIR HEALTH
NEW figures
from the Office for National Statistics revealed there were 3,300
excess winter deaths of older people in the North West last year.
With the Met Office predicting a colder winter this year, Age
Concern is urging older people to claim the benefits, such as
Pension Credit, and help with heating available to help them stay
warm and well.
With the average fuel bill having risen over 60% in the last 4
years, and with predictions of further price hikes in the New Year,
it is understandable that many older people worry about affording
high fuel bills. The average bill has risen from £572 in 2003, when
the current Winter Fuel Payments were established, to £924 today.
Yet by not heating their home adequately older people could be
putting their health at risk. In the previous 6 years alone, there
were almost 150,000 excess winter deaths of people aged 65 plus in
England and Wales. Cold-related illnesses, such as pneumonia,
contributed to many thousands of these deaths.
The charity is warning that millions of pensioners are missing out
on benefits, such as Pension Credit, which could help to make it
easier to pay their bills. Many older people are unaware that in
addition they may be able to claim help with energy efficiency,
insulation and heating improvements. Some men aged 60-65 may also be
missing out on the Winter Fuel Payment because it isn’t paid
automatically to them as they aren’t yet receiving their State
Pension. As part of its year-long Your Rights benefits
campaign, Age Concern is urging people to get in touch to find out
what they could claim. The charity can provide free advice and
information about what money benefits and help with heating they may
be entitled to, and can help to make claiming simple. To find their
nearest Age Concern or for more information older people, their
friends, relatives or carers can call the charity’s free information
line on 0800 00 99 66.
Gordon Lishman, Director General of Age Concern, said:- “We
know many older people feel they need to cut back on their heating
to reduce their bill, yet this could be putting their health at
risk. With fuel costs sixty percent higher than four years ago, it
is no wonder that many pensioners worry about paying expensive
bills. Yet millions of older people are missing out on benefits or
help with heating costs that could make meeting their bills easier.
Older people shouldn’t have to worry about health versus wealth. We
would urge any older person who is finding it difficult to pay their
fuel bills to contact their nearest Age Concern for a free benefits
check or phone our information line on 0800 00 99 66 for more
information.”
Age Concern is also calling on the Government to provide more money
for vulnerable older people. The charity wants to see the annual
Winter Fuel Payment increased by £100, the Basic State Pension
raised to at least £119 per week, and automatic benefits payments
introduced, so all pensioners can afford to heat their homes. The
charity is also urging energy companies to do everything they can to
protect vulnerable customers from price increases.
Factfile:-
Nearly 90% of all excess winter deaths are of people over the age of
65.
Almost 1 in 3 older
people live in homes with inadequate heating or insulation making
their homes more difficult to heat and/or keep warm.
More than 1 in 4
people living in fuel poverty are over 70 years old
Average annual energy
bills are now almost £1,000. This will absorb 16% of the income of a
single pensioner dependent on the pension credit minimum guarantee
and the £200 Winter Fuel Payment. |
