The City of Wolverhampton Council is consulting on a range of options for Recovery House, a 4 bed facility in Low Hill which prepares those leaving hospital to live in a more independent setting, and supports individuals in need of a period of assessment or reablement, or a short break.
It is currently jointly funded by the council and Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group, however a joint review has found the existing model is no longer cost effective.
At the same time, changes to social care policy nationally require authorities to put greater focus on helping people live independently in the community.
As a result, the council is putting forward a number of proposals for the future delivery of the Recovery House service, and is inviting people to have their say.
One of the options is to refocus the service so that Recovery House offers, through an external provider, longer term tenancies to service users as they prepare for life in a more independent setting. The Community Outreach Service would offer support to residents at Recovery House, while at the same time providing help to people living in the community and resettling from nursing and residential care.
Another option would see Recovery House decommissioned, and an enhanced Community Outreach Team developed to support social workers in helping people with mental health issues move out of long stay residential and nursing settings into the community.
Other options include maintaining or decommissioning the service.
Councillor Elias Mattu, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Adults, said: "Promoting independence for people with disabilities including mental health issues is a key priority for the council.
"We are looking to develop proposals which offer more intense support when it is needed, so that people can maintain their independence in supported housing or community settings and are less reliant on traditional support services.
"It's very important that service users, their families and carers and other stakeholders help to shape these proposals during the consultation, and we have arranged 4 public meetings at which they can have their say."
Public consultation sessions will take place on Thursday 3 December, 2015, from 10am to 12pm in Committee Room 2 at the Civic Centre, 2pm to 4pm at Brickkiln Community Centre, Cherry Street, Wolverhampton and 5.30pm to 7.30pm in Committee Room 2 at the Civic Centre, and on Friday 15 January, 2016, in Committee Room 3 of the Civic Centre from 10am to 12pm.
People can also have their say by completing a short survey at Type=links;Linkid=6687;Title=Consultation on proposed changes to Recovery House;Target=_blank; or by emailing participation.team@wolverhampton.gov.uk or calling 01902 551040.
Support is available through Wolverhampton Advocacy Service to people who use or have used the service who do not have family or carers to help them take part in the consultation. For more information, please call 01902 810016 or email mail@1voice.org.uk.
The consultation closes on Friday 5 February, 2016.
- released: Tuesday 17 November, 2015