STOCKTON-ON-TEES Borough councillors have agreed to carry out a 12 week consultation on how it provides travel support for people who use adult social care services and their carers.
Following the Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday 27 June councillors approved a draft travel support policy for adult service users and carers for consultation.
The policy reflects the requirements of the Care Act 2014 by promoting and encouraging service users and carers to be as independent as they can be.
Service users’ needs would be assessed so a travel plan could be developed for anyone who is unable to travel independently and this may include Council funded transport.
The 12 week consultation will take place from 11 July to 2 October 2016.
During the consultation the Council will talk and write to those people who may be affected, their carers, families and interested organisations. Views shared during the consultation will be reported back to Cabinet in the Autumn for final consideration.
Councillor Jim Beall, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Health, said: “Where appropriate and with the support of their carers and families, we are keen to enable service users to realise their full potential to use other means of transport. We also want service users to make use of the benefits and concessions they are entitled to in order to travel to activities and services.
“This draft policy also suggests social workers have an important role in supporting people who can and want to travel independently to do so and to make sure that training is provided to achieve this.”
A copy of the consultation document and policy will be available to download at www.stockton.gov.uk/consultation