Corporate Plan, Chapter 3: Our Corporate Priorities
Supporting the vulnerable
We believe that a strong and sustainable borough is also an inclusive borough. We must respond to the needs of all our local people but especially those who are vulnerable. This includes the homeless, adults with a physical or learning disability, those with mental health problems and older people who become frail and find everyday tasks more difficult.
We are committed to supporting vulnerable adults to live independent, active lives. We will support them in this by providing high quality services offering choice and flexibility. We will respond to user and carer needs while continuing to provide value for money.
Our vision for choice and independence in Adult Social Services will increase the number of customers who directly purchase and arrange their own care and support arrangements. A programme has been agreed and is now being implemented.
Objectives for 2008/9 and beyond
- Help people stay in control of their lives by maximising the independence of those requiring care or support, promoting choice and providing real alternatives to homelessness
- Achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people by continuing to improve the quality, effectiveness, accessibility and customer satisfaction of social care services and meet the Decent Home Standards by 2010.
Priority Improvement Initiatives
Help people stay in control of their lives
- Deliver the Vision Programme for Choice and Independence in Adult Social Services by 2009/10
- Implement the Revised Supporting People Strategy 2007 by 2009
- Develop and begin the implementation of a Carers' Strategy which is to be agreed by Cabinet during 2008
- Milestone:
- Report to Cabinet in autumn 2008 and then work towards the milestones as detailed in the Cabinet report.
- Produce Older Persons Housing Strategy, including sheltered housing
- Milestones:
- Report on Sheltered Housing to Cabinet: April 2008
- Older Persons Housing Strategy in place: Autumn 2008
- Implement Local Housing Allowance scheme by April 2008.
Achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people
- Implement the Older People’s Commissioning Strategy Action Plan by 2010
- Implement the Physical and Sensory Impairment Commissioning Strategy Action Plan by 2010
- Implement the Learning Disabilities Commissioning Strategy Action Plan by 2010
- Implement the Mental Health Commissioning Strategy Action Plan by 2010
- Complete the Homelessness Strategy and implement key actions from the Young Persons Homelessness Strategy by April 2009
- Develop facilities for online housing applications to enable co-production of service with clients
- Milestones:
- Procurement of new Housing IT system to be implemented by December 2008
- Development of online processing June 2009
- Implement Temporary Accommodation Strategy to prioritise needs of families and children
- Milestone:
- Draft new Accommodation Strategy June 2008
- Outsource medical assessments
- Milestone:
- Working to a sub-regional plan to procure using EU procurement rules by December 2008
- Fully implement new structure as agreed by General Functions Committee in June 2009
- Review and update from the Private Sector Housing Strategy
- Milestones:
- Re-establish Landlords Forum by March 2008
- Undertake borough wide stock conditions survey by summer 2008
- Private Sector Housing Strategy approved and in place by spring 2009
- Review and update the Business Plan for the Housing Revenue Account and managing council homes beyond 2010
- Milestones:
- Agree transitional investment strategy for regeneration estates April 2008
- Develop an investment strategy for non regeneration stock beyond 2010
- Updated Housing Revenue Account Business Plan submitted to Cabinet June 2009
- Implementation of introductory tenancies for new council tenants
- Milestones:
- Consultation with residents by February/March 2008
- Report to Cabinet: June 2008.
- The targets underpinning these objectives can be found in the performance tables - Supporting the vulnerable.