Five-star social care

OLDHAM has received national acclaim for the innovative way residents can purchase their own social care.

Oldham Council’s Individual Budgets scheme — which allows people to choose who provides their care in a way that is most convenient and relevant to themselves, their carers and their family — has been recognised as the fifth-best in the country.

Individual Budgets have been successfully offered to Oldhamers since 2006. More than 60 per cent of those who receive services from the council’s adult care service now do so via an Individual Budget.

Councillor Phil Harrison said: “Our ambition is for everyone who is eligible for care to have an Individual Budget. The majority feel they have more control over their lives which is an excellent outcome.”

Examples of Individual Budgets in Oldham include a woman who previously attended a day centre, which met her needs but was limited in terms of what it could offer, but now has a personal assistant who takes her swimming twice a week and helps with her shopping and preparing meals.

Another Oldhamer living alone after the death of his wife has a number of health problems.

Some days he needs more help than others so he rejected a traditional package of care and now has an individual budget which pays for two personal assistants — one of whom is a neighbour — who can offer him flexible help as and when required.