Technology-enabled community response service praised for person-centred approach
A community response service that utilises assistive technology for residents has received a glowing report in its annual inspection by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).
Delta Wellbeing is a Local Authority Trading Company, owned by Carmarthenshire County Council, which provides assistive technology and proactive monitoring to support older and vulnerable people to live more independently.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Services Cllr Jane Tremlett said: “I would like to congratulate the team at Delta Wellbeing on an excellent inspection report which truly reflects the unique service that is provided to residents, predominantly in times of crisis.
“Delta Wellbeing works closely with the council’s social care teams and with Hywel Dda University Health Board to ensure residents’ ongoing care and support needs are met at home until reablement or a long-term package of care is put in place, preventing unnecessary admission or re-admission to hospital.”
As the independent regulator of social care in Wales, CIW registers, inspects, and takes action to improve the quality and safety of services for the wellbeing of the people of Wales.
Delta Wellbeing’s community response team supports patients to return home from hospital by providing care and support for a short period of time until reablement or long-term providers can be found. It also provides an emergency response or bridging service to families who are struggling to care for their loved ones. This could be because they are awaiting further assessments, an increase in care provision, or need additional short-term social care support.
They are provided with assistive technology, such as lifelines, so they have access to Delta Wellbeing’s 24/7 monitoring centre. If there are any concerns regarding care breakdown, sudden deterioration, crises, or concerns over the level of care required, the response team is dispatched to support during this time.
It is the first service of its kind in Wales to be registered with CIW and allows staff to be able to provide the necessary care and support when attending to a client at their home should they need it.
As part of the inspection process, the inspector heard the views of service users and their relatives and spoke to members of staff and the leadership team to gain an understanding of the quality of care being delivered.
The report said: “This distinctive time limited service puts the health and wellbeing of people at the centre of its multi-disciplinary operation. People, their relatives and health and social care professionals greatly value the care and support provided from a committed and knowledgeable manager and staff team.”
No non-compliance issues were found.
Community response manager Sarah Vaughan commented: “We are delighted that the high-quality of care delivered by the service has been recognised in this inspection report.
“We always put our clients at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud of our hard-working and dedicated team of responders who go above and beyond to make a difference to their lives.”
Read the full inspection report here.
The most recent Association of Directors of Adult Social Services report revealed that over half of adult social care directors have seen an increased need for care.