The Head of Community Care Market Commission introduced the report of the Director of Care and Health which provided the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee with the outcome of a review of reablement provision in Wirral. It was reported that there had been a drop in activity of service provision over the past two years and the Council had an opportunity to transfer, recruit and train an experienced workforce to improve the reablement offer for Wirral residents. The current contract for direct provision was due to be under review in 2023 and officers were keen to specify the contract to align it with a new service offer.

The Director of Care and Health emphasised the importance of these services to get residents back on their feet and as independent as possible and stated that if the Council could drive the training and development of staff, better support would be able to be provided to those who needed it.

Members highlighted concern over recruitment and whether the Council intended to recruit staff who were already fully trained or those who wanted to be trained and it was reported that there would be a blended approach which would take into account the potential transfer of staff into the new service offer, the Healthy Wirral Workforce Academy and recruiting new and experienced staff.

Resolved – That

(1)  the content of the report and the options described at section 2 benoted, and the recommended Option 1 - To establish an in-house reablement service delivered by the Council be approved in principle.

(2)  the Director of Care and Health be requested to progress with engagement, service design and financial modelling for an in-house service, and a further report be brought to a future committee detailing the proposed service arrangements.