Knowsley’s Cabinet has welcomed recommendations from the council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee following their thorough review of the respite offer in Knowsley.
Respite provides replacement care to adults with care and support needs to ensure their carers are able to take a break from their caring roles when they need to. Respite can be provided in a range of different settings, and the service provided will be different depending on the needs and circumstances of the person accessing the service.
The scrutiny committee’s report, which includes six key recommendations, aims to further develop and enhance the respite offer in Knowsley, including expanding the in-house respite offer, providing respite in a larger number of settings, and block booking respite beds in some care homes to make it easier for carers to plan ahead when they need to take a break.
Members accepted all of the recommendations, which build on existing good practice and align to work already underway within the Council.
The recommendations include:
- Improving the use of data and data collection to better understand the demand for respite services in the future.
- Expanding respite options including the in-house respite offer, providing respite in a greater number of settings, and block booking beds in some care homes to make it easier for carers to plan breaks.
- Improving communication including ensuring that information about respite services is clear, accessible, and easy to understand for residents, carers, and professionals.
- Specific guidance around Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) to increase awareness among key stakeholders of LPAs, ensuring they are used in the best interests of the person represented.
- Raising awareness of respite, by providing bespoke training about the enhanced offer in Knowsley for Elected Members and other key stakeholders.
- Exploring the use of tools or systems to improve the equity and transparency of the allocation of respite for people who need care and support and their carers.
The Council will be working closely with the scrutiny committee to monitor the implementation of these recommendations and ensure that the respite offer in Knowsley can grow and adapt to meet the needs of our residents.
Read the full report.