Lifelong Services - a new service for people requiring social care
The service is for people that require social care support either as a child or as an adult.
Moving from children’s to adults’ social services is a huge step for young people and services have not always responded in a way that is coordinated and person-centred.
In creating a single Lifelong service, the vision is to:
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Offer early intervention
- Build on a person’s strengths to develop skills and independence throughout all stages of their life journey
- Promote and maintain safety and good health and
- Facilitate employment
By providing a more joined up experience resources can be used in the best way and individuals can be enabled to live a ‘good life’ as defined by them.
What West Sussex County Council is doing?
Six areas of priority as follows:
- Workforce - Bringing children’s and adults disability social care and support services under one structure, (including occupational therapy for children and adults with lifelong disabilities)
- Working Practice and Culture - Designing a model that reflects the vision, including developing a single referral process Improved links with education and health services
- Governance, systems and performance - Ensuring structures and processes support the new way of working
- Market Shaping - Developing support and provision for all levels of need to achieve social inclusion, independence aspiration and resilience, and cost effectiveness
- Budget and Savings - Effective whole life budget planning supporting improved efficiencies across the Local Authority
- Communication and Co-production - Increasing the profile, sharing our journey and working with our customers and partners
Achievements:
- Developed and embedded My Plan- an outcome-focused single assessment and planning document designed to be used by the person throughout their life journey
- Designed a Lifelong Services ‘wiki’ with the aim of helping young people and those supporting them through their transition to adulthood
- Recruitment to a permanent head of lifelong services is underway and we’ve secured transformation capacity to help deliver priorities
- Learning from other Local Authorities about effective service models and delivery
More information
Find out more about life-long services and how they can help people that has a lifelong disability acquired before the age of 25 and or autism through the link below.
Have your say
West Sussex County Council want to co-produce the service so is very interested in your views.
If you wish to know more or want to say what you think please email Dave Sargeant at: lifelongservices@westsussex.gov.uk
