The Magnificent Seventh
The Council has been awarded four stars by the Audit Commission for a seventh year in a row. Since the Corporate Performance Assessment (CPA) began, Kensington and Chelsea has always achieved the best possible rating of four stars.
The Audit Commission has again commended the Council on giving council tax payers excellent value for money. It also praised the Royal Borough for once again 'improving strongly' and gave special mention to the Council’s achievements in key areas including adult social care, enhancing library facilities, crime reduction, achieving the lowest fear of crime in London and its family and children’s services. Two case studies highlight the Council’s attention to detail and to innovation in delivering council services.
Case study one – the People First programme
Residents with support needs now have unprecedented control of their care budgets, thanks to an innovative scheme funded by the Council. The People First programme is giving service users a personal budget for care following an assessment of their needs by social services. Depending on individual circumstances, a personal budget may take the form of a direct payment to the service user or may be managed on their behalf by another person or by the Council.
Regardless of where the money is held, service users will be given as much control as possible over how it is spent. This could mean that instead of opting for traditional home care services, users employ their own care assistant. Or instead of attending a day centre, they might choose to join a gym or attend a course.
One resident who has already signed up is 82-year-old Ben, who is frail and has difficulties with his sight and his hearing. He uses his budget to employ a neighbour to cook for him, and occasionally uses his money to pay for someone to take him to social events. Last year, he paid for a carer to take him to a Remembrance Sunday lunch at his local Royal British Legion.
Ben said:
"I feel so much more in control of my life. I can eat out, socialise, and choose what and when I eat."
"I have company when the meals are being prepared and someone who knows they need to talk a little louder and describe things to me. Because my neighbour knows what my problems are I don’t have to keep explaining to new care workers what to do for me."
This scheme of personal budgets, tailored to individual requirements, will be introduced across the country over the next two years but has been on offer in the Royal Borough since 2006. The number of people with a personal budget in the Royal Borough is increasing rapidly and by 2011 personal budgets will have become the norm.
For more information about the Council’s People First programme email peoplefirst@rbkc.gov.uk
Case study two – the library service
Libraries across the Royal Borough are set to become self-service as part of a raft of measures to encourage more people to borrow books.
A new self-service kiosk that uses state-of-the-art Radio Frequency Identification (RFI) technology to enable customers to check out and return books is to be installed. Chelsea will be the first library to receive this technology when it is unveiled in the autumn.
As well as borrowing the latest best-sellers, customers will also be able to pay rental charges for CDs and DVDs, check and renew their loans and pay overdue charges.
The overhaul is designed to help free up more time so that librarians can provide residents with a better service. The Council has noticed a significant increase in library membership across the borough as the recession has started to bite.
Latest figures reveal that almost 13,000 people joined the library between September and December 2008 - a nine per cent increase compared with the same period in 2007. Visitor figures also increased by six per cent within the same time frame.
The Royal Borough's libraries, in partnership with NHS Kensington and Chelsea, have meanwhile established an innovative bibliotherapy service designed to take books out to the community.
The Wellbeing Collection and Book Break aim to improve mental health and wellbeing through literature.
The Wellbeing Collection is a range of good quality self-help books and other resources to help people understand, and cope with, mild to moderate mental health issues. The collection covers a wide range of topics, from eating disorders to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Book Break is a reading group scheme that aims to improve mental health and social inclusion. Weekly groups are led by facilitators who read fiction aloud and encourage others to read aloud too. The scheme targets a range of people including carers, homeless hostel residents, young mums, the elderly and people with dementia and mental and physical health issues.
What do you think?
Email your comments on this story to: rbkcdirect@rbkc.gov.uk
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