Wokingham

People with physical disabilities and long term conditions in the Wokingham Borough are enjoying more and more opportunities for worthwhile and rewarding ways to spend their days thanks to the changes being brought about by the transformation in adult social care by Putting People First* – and the development of these will be discussed by current and future social care customers and carers at a meeting this month.

Wokingham Adults with physical disabilities, along with other social care customers, are increasingly enjoying the chance to take control of their own care budgets under a system of self-directed support and using them in imaginative ways in both council-run services and those provided by voluntary and professional organisations.

There are already inspirational examples of how this is being done. Numerous sports and leisure activities such as sailing, therapeutic gardening, horse riding and pilates are being offered as well as one-to-one help to use community facilities. And the Wokingham council is determined to increase the opportunities available to people and has been consulting on how this can be achieved. As part of the consultation it has invited some 300 people to a meeting at The CResCent Centre, Warbler Drive, Lower Earley on Monday February 15 to discuss how more opportunities can be developed.

Wokingham Borough Council deputy executive member for social care and housing Cllr Bob Wyatt said: “In the light of the changes in the type of services required, we need the people who use and benefit from these day service opportunities to be involved in how they are developed. This meeting is part of making sure all voices are heard. The council needs to know what people will want in the future so that it can begin tailoring its services to meet those wishes and can encourage the development of services in voluntary or private bodies.”

Anybody with a legitimate interest in attending who has not been invited can contact Amanda Gordon on (0118) 974 6850, who will be able to arrange transport if necessary.

The future of Wokingham Westmead Day Centre is one of the topics that has been discussed in the ongoing consultation and could be discussed again at the meeting on February 15 because the centre has not been attracting new, young clients who are seeking activities outside the traditional social care institutions.

General manager Wokingham community care and housing Stuart Rowbotham said: “Nothing has been decided over Westmead but it is right that we are looking at it in conjunction with all day opportunities. We are in a position to offer the services and support that have been provided in Westmead in better, mainstream locations such as leisure and community facilities, although we recognise that some people prefer the perceived security of a dedicated space or base.

“A key result of people taking control over their care budgets is that it will force council services to be better and more attractive – if they are not, people will simply spend their care budgets elsewhere – and that is why we are desperate to get the views of all current and future social care customers and those who care for them.”

The feedback collected at the meeting and other consultation events will be used to draw up proposals for the future of day opportunities that will be considered by the council’s decision-making executive later in the year.

Wokingham Borough Council