Changing Community Care - East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum

3rd August 2010

Helmsdale Community Centre will host the East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum at 7.30pm on Tuesday (10 August). Donellen Mackenzie and Bob Silverwood of The Highland Council Social Work Service will be leading discussions regarding changes to community care provided through Highland Community Care Partnership.

Highland Community Care Partnership (made up of The Highland Council and NHS Highland) is developing a new Joint Community Care Plan which will co-ordinate their approach to providing care and support to adults in need. This includes older people and other vulnerable groups, such as people with learning disability, sensory impairment, mental health and/or substance misuse problems and those who are homeless.

The Partnership has already been involved in gathering people's views in a variety of different ways, including through stakeholder forums, consultation documents and by Highland Community Care Forum listening to "harder to reach" groups. As part of the consultation process they are now are aiming to discuss their plans with Ward Forums.

Councillor Deidre Mackay, who will be chairing the Forum, said: "'Over the past few /years we have seen a big shift in emphasis from caring for people in hospitals and institutions to caring for them at home where they wish to be. Resources are increasingly being targeted at the measures required to prevent avoidable emergency admissions to hospital/care, people taking greater care and responsibility for their own good health and, when hospital care is required, people returning to their own homes as soon as possible. This shift in balance brings with it enormous challenges not only in terms of financial resources but support services on the ground.

"This Ward Forum is an excellent opportunity for people with an interest in the future of community care to come along, hear the presentations and participate in the question and answer session which follows."