Still time to express views on Domicillary Care Services across the Northern Trust

by Gráinne Connolly

Members of the public still have time to express their views and contribute to a public consultation launched by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Trust) regarding Domicillary Care Services. 

At the moment the Northern Trust provide this type of care to over 5,000 people in their homes, through a combination of Trust delivered (statutory) care packages and Independent Sector packages.

In preparation to the consultation, the trust conducted a survey with a sample of Service Users and Carers who were in receipt of Domicillary Care services to provide the opportunity to express opinions and explore potential areas for improvement to service provision. 

This feedback was then taken into consideration when producing the proposed model. 

Briege Donaghy, Divisional Director of Strategic Development and Business Services, explained the purpose of the consultation. 

"We want to provide support to service users to enable them, as far as possible, to live in their own homes. 

"It is essential that we establish the most effective and efficient model for purchasing services from non-statutory providers to ensure value for money and help meet the needs of service users.

"The need for consistency and continuity in the quality of domiciliary care services is extremely important and we believe that the proposed model will deliver the best service to service users and carers.

"These events are extremely important to allow us to hear the views of those on the ground and I would encourage anyone interested to come along and engage with us."

An engagement meeting will also be held at the Sandel Centre in Coleraine on Thursday 18th of January at 2pm, where independent sector providers and interested parties are invited to attend. 

Trust senior managers will present the preferred contract model at the event and capture feedback as part of the consultation process. 

A previous meeting was held at Ballymena Showground last month. 

Anyone interested in attending the meeting in Coleraine are welcome to turn up on the day or the consultation documents can be read in the link below: 

http://www.northerntrust.hscni.net/about/3005.htm

This public consultation was launched on the 27 October 2017 and will end on 26 January 2018.