Support staff are to run drop-in sessions across Brighton and Hove, offering help that has proved much in demand by phone.
The Access Point team at Brighton and Hove City Council handle about 2,500 calls a month dealing with questions about adult social care.
The team are planning to take to the road to meet people needing help and their carers.
Councillor Ken Norman, the council’s cabinet member for adult social care, told a meeting on Monday that the service was intended to ensure people received the right help as quickly as possible.
He added that it was cost effective because qualified social workers provided help only when they were needed rather than becoming involved in cases too early on or completely unnecessarily.
Cuncillor Norman said Access Point staff used a simple assessment process designed to resolve people’s needs speedily.
Some people just wanted information rather than an assessment of needs.
When people’s needs were more complex, the Access Point staff referred people to the relevant team for a more detailed assessment.
He said: “It’s amazing how often our Access Point team can sort out people’s care needs in a single meeting or chat.
“We’re also working alongside Age Concern, the Pensions Service and the local Federation of Disabled People on many of these outreach sessions to try to make sure people can get all the information they need in one go.”
The Access Point team’s care experts are to hold drop-in sessions at
- The Age Concern offices at 29-31 Prestonville Road at the Seven Dials
- St George’s Crypt in St George’s Road, Kemp Town
- St Martin’s Church Hall in Longridge Avenue, Saltdean
- The Federation of Disabled People offices in Hove Street, Hove
- Hove Polyclinic in Marshall Way, off Nevill Avenue, Hangleton
- The council’s Daily Living Centre in Montague Place, Kemp Town.
Some of the drop-in sessions are weekly. Some are monthly.
For full details of dates and times click here or phone 01273 296150.
