Information, advice and guidance

People need easy access to high quality information, advice and guidance and whenever possible and appropriate, they need to be able to self-serve or their carers and families need to be able to do so on their behalf. This approach allows people to maintain control and to exercise choice at whatever point they are at in their lives. Further, it helps the Council to use its resources more effectively.

Building on this, it is essential that when people contact adult social care, they are given a positive response and support to help resolve the issues they face but by emphasising what people can do for themselves, what support is available from other organisations and what support is available in the community. The aim is to ensure that people receive care and support that is appropriate and that enables independence rather than fostering dependency.

In order to deliver this element of the strategy, adult social care will continue to promote its services and how people can contact them. The first point of contact which can be through the internet or through a telephone contact centre will be continuously improved. The number of calls that are abandoned because of long waits will be reduced and more experienced workers will be based in the centres. The range of services that people can access directly will be increased and it will be made easier for carers to have their needs assessed.