Praise for Social Care Workers as Figures Show Homecare has Doubled in Ten Years
Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have praised social care workers after new figures revealed that the amount of homecare delivered across the Borough has doubled in the past ten years.
Homecare is the range of services put in place to support an individual to live safely and with dignity in their own home, and a report to Bedford Borough Council's Adult Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee last night revealed the huge extent to which demand for this care has risen.
14,000 hours of homecare for older persons and those with physical disabilities are now delivered per week across Bedford Borough. The rise is due to factors including our ageing population and the council's commitment to supporting people to live in their own home as safely, comfortably and independently as possible.
The increase in provision has occurred despite massive cuts in the council's funding over the same period. The has been achieved thanks to the Council's relentless focus under Mayor Dave Hodgson on targeting savings away from the front line, enabling support for the most vulnerable to be retained and expanded in line with need.
Commenting, Bedford Borough Liberal Democrat Adult Services Committee Spokesperson Cllr Tim Caswell said: "The huge increase in homecare is a credit to the front line social care staff who work so hard to help people live safely and with dignity in their own homes. This has been made possible by the Council's commitment to saving front line services, despite vast government cuts to the council's funding.'
"We have an ageing population and this trend is only going to continue, so supporting people to live well and to retain their independence will continue to be critical in the years to come."
The report on homecare in Bedford Borough can be found at Item 6 in the agenda for the Adult Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 3rd March here