I went to visit a disabled constituent today who lives off Northumberland Avenue. She is a double amputee and is undergoing therapy for phantom pains in her limbs.
She was smiling.
On previous visits her face had been etched with pain.
I had reason to smile today too. I had spent two years trying to get her home kitted out so that she could get around in her wheelchair and finally things had been sorted by Ridgway, the contractor employed by Reading Borough Council to carry out home adaptations.
Before I had got involved my constituent had been sitting at home waiting and waiting for the Council to make the necessary improvements.
My constituent, Mrs D, proudly showed me the ramp that had been built in the garden to enable her to get to her car (pictured).
The kitchen door had been replaced so that it is now wide enough to get her wheelchair in and out. And her kitchen window and units are now easy for her to reach.
All these changes - some small - have enabled Mrs D to stay in her home and lead a full, independent life.
This is better for her, and ultimately better for the tax payer.
While the initial outlay for the adaptations are expensive they could save the Council more money in providing residential care for Mrs D in years to come.
The last two years has seen real improvements in the performance of Reading Borough Council's social care service.
This follows the publication last December by the then inspectorate of social care services, CSCI of a critical report of the Council's service, awarding them one star.
As an opposition councillor and Chair of Scrutiny I have no vested interested interest in defending the Labour-run Council's performance, but anyone who has been looking at the stats and following developments in this service must acknowledge that this bit of the Council is at last heading in the right direction.
The Housing, Health and Community Panel has played a major role in driving improvement of services for some of the most vulnerable people in Reading.
However, there is still a fair way to go.
One area I have been particularly interested in over the years as a councillor has been the time that residents have to wait for an assessment by an occupational therapist (OT).
These visits are crucial as they can result in making it easier for people to remain in the own homes and enjoy a better quality of life.
The inspection report published last year said that RBC lagged behind other authorities in this area.
An inspection of older people's services published last month rated the service adequate and stated that some elderly people in Reading are still facing 'unacceptable waits' for assessments.
This is a concern.
I asked RBC officers for data on how our wait times in Reading compare with other councils elsewhere.
I learned that there are 74 people waiting for an OT assessment in Reading and that these individuals are waiting on average 12-14 weeks.
This is longer than people in other areas are having to wait which is not right and action must be taken to reduce the number of long waits.
We know that other councils are managing to see people within 28 days.
I will continue to ask searching questions of officers about this area until we see some real improvements in these waiting times for the benefit of some of Reading's most vulnerable residents.
Comments