Lib Dem Success! Wiltshire to scale up Shared Lives programme
At the end of an at times fractious day discussing the budget, the full council meeting ended with cross party agreement to support Dr Brian Mathew's motion to assess the feasibility of scaling up the 'Shared Lives' programme in Wiltshire. This will now go to the next cabinet meeting to establish how this can go forward. There is a potential for a real 'win-win' here for both adult social care in Wiltshire and serious savings for the Council's budget.
Cllr Brian Mathew, speaking in support of his motion, argued that, "The Shared Lives Programme here in Wiltshire offers an alternative solution for some older or vulnerable people, while delivering significant cost savings. This programme enables a person needing such care to move into a family home, effectively becoming a member of that family, with all the love and care that brings. Using the figures provided by our officers, the average cost for adult residential care for people over 65 is £677 a week. For younger people aged between 8 to 64, many of whom have learning difficulties, the cost rises to £1,180 a week due to their additional needs. The Shared Lives programme costs are significantly lower at around £360 a week."
With the motion passing unanimously, this is a real Lib Dem success, which will not only improve the quality of life of those who need residential care but also has the potential for saving the taxpayer millions.
ENDS
Reference - Wiltshire Council, 20thFebruary 2018, Brian Mathew's motion - http://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/s140469/NoticeofMotionNo6SharedLivesProgramme.pdf