Leonard Cheshire Disability
www.nesta.org.uk/project/innovate-save/leonard-cheshire-disability/
www.nesta.org.uk/project/innovate-save/leonard-cheshire-disability/
Offering a range of group-based activities for people receiving personal or social care payments, replacing some one-to-one support and providing more choice.
We’re supporting Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD), the UK's largest pan-disability charity, with grant funding of £15,000. LCD provides practical care and personalised support to disabled people. Its services include care homes, supported living, day services, respite care and personal support. It works with disabled people of all ages with physical/sensory impairments, and learning disabilities and difficulties. It supports disabled people to live independently, contribute economically and participate fully in society, and strives for a society where every person is equally valued.
LCD implements a person-centred approach. Development and delivery are made in response to needs and demands of the people it aims to support; multi-faceted services enable it to embed in local communities, including 15 locations across Wales.
LCD will trial a Prime Members Club with 20 social care clients in Anglesey, to enable individuals to participate in social, community-based activities through their social care budgets. LCD will develop a suite of activities in partnership with disabled people, based upon their interests. Beneficiaries will be able to access these activities, utilising their direct payments.
Through linking people who want to access the same activities LCD can create opportunities for social engagement as well as cost efficiency through utilising the same staff resource to support more people.
In Wales, it is estimated that the number of people requiring residential care could rise by up to 70 per cent by 2030, while demand for community care is likely to increase by more than 60 per cent over the same period (Future Pressure on Welsh Public Services).
As the cost of social care continues to rise, local authorities and commissioners are under greater pressure to deliver more services for less money. This results in cuts to services for disabled adults aged 18-64 in receipt of direct payments for their social care, in supported living or care homes, and those who have previously accessed day services.
Currently, many disabled people with social care budgets are able to use this funding to access support to participate in activities in their community, such as going swimming, to a café or to the cinema. This activity is largely accessed on a one to one basis, which is expensive to deliver both in terms of time and money, and is isolating for the person participating. This support is generally offered at the same time and day every week and does not easily allow for flexibility.
The the Prime Members Club will create a tool to book a range of activities at varying times with groups of people to provide individuals with more choice and control over how they live their lives and what activities they participate in. Through linking people who want to access the same activities we can create opportunities for social engagement as well as cost efficiency through utilising the same staff resource to support more people.
This will improve the services available for disabled people who use direct payments, offering greater opportunities to participate in community activities, improve their social networks and develop friendships, and explore new interests.
The Prime Members Club will make economic and efficiency savings without sacrificing the equity and effectiveness of social care services. Cost savings will come directly from efficiency savings and a reduction in the total care hours delivered. Savings will ultimately be made by the local authority. LCD will be providing a service that can be purchased by local authorities to deliver their social care in a better way.
