The Isle of Wight Council is changing the way social care is delivered.  To help make this change work, the Council is looking for people to join a User and Carer Reference Group to monitor and feedback people’s experiences of this new way of working.

Older people and those with a physical, sensory or learning disability or mental health issues have been given more control under the new scheme. It provides people with choice through the use of personal budgets which enable them to pick and choose the services around their social care needs on which they wish to spend their money.

Trained social care staff are on hand to support and advise people, where necessary, on how best to spend their personal budget to ensure they receive the best care services to meet their needs.

The council is looking for service users and carers to join the group to look at what needs to happen to make sure the new scheme is working for people.

Members of the group will check that business processes and policies are effective, understandable, customer focused and easy to follow. This will involve mystery shopping and providing critical feedback of documents supporting the delivery of the new scheme.

Ideally the council hopes to attract service users and their carers who are in receipt of a personal budget. It is looking for people who have a learning, physical or sensory disability, mental health issues and older people, as well as people who will speak on behalf of users such as carers and family members.

Cllr Dawn Cousins, Isle of Wight Council cabinet member for children, social care, health and housing said:

“At such an exciting time for social care, we hope to involve people in the process of ensuring that the transformation of Social Care is working as it should be and understood by all. Members of this group will play an extremely important role in shaping the future of social care and we hope to attract members from a wide range of backgrounds.”

For further information about being a member of the group please contact Vicky Jones on 01983 520600 or e-mail vicky.jones@iow.gov.uk  or Maurice Dix on 01983 823099 x 2956 or e-mail Maurice.dix@iow.gov.uk.

The first meeting will take place on Thursday 5 November between 12:30 and 14:30 in the seminar room at Quay Arts in Newport.