“We want service users in Bridgend to experience a well-coordinated and planned approach to meet the individual’s needs in a holistic, effective and timely way,” says Christopher Lloyd, assistant team manager in one of Bridgend council’s integrated community networks.
The Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2014, Wales’s equivalent of the Care Act, has driven these changes. Independence and wellbeing are the watchwords and, wherever possible, the goal is to provide help for people to live at home and support care relationships within the family. It is about “working smartly”, he says.
“When a social worker comes to me to discuss a referral, we might decide to approach the community nursing team lead if a service user’s care needs have become complex, intense and unpredictable,” he says. “Working in such close proximity has allowed good professional relationships to develop with safe and effective support for individuals being a priority for our team.”
