CARMARTHENSHIRE could soon become a centre of excellence for technology enabled care, allowing people to live independently in their homes for longer.
The county council’s executive board has agreed to create a limited company that will provide round the clock assistance to people who want to live in their own homes but need support.
Llesiant Delta Wellbeing will replace the council’s current Careline service, and whilst safeguarding jobs and creating new employment opportunities, it will also give thousands more people greater access to technology-based support when they need it.
Operating as a limited company, with Carmarthenshire County Council the sole share-holder, it will also provide services to the private sector, securing new sources of income that would ensure the long term sustainability of the service.
The company will now be put into operation, with around 50 members of council staff transferred to the company.
The council’s current Careline service provides 24-hour telecare services to 27,000 homes across eight local authority areas.
It also forms a single point of access for all social care enquiries, and delivers the authority’s out of hours call handling and lone working services.
Llesiant Delta Wellbeing will take over this service but will also look to provide services to a far wider market, generating an income stream that the current Careline service is unable to do.
Cllr Jane Tremlett, executive board member for health and social care, said: “These are exciting times for us as the largest bilingual provider of telecare services in Wales.
”We are delivering excellent services to vulnerable people in our communities, but only 14 per cent of our service users are from Carmarthenshire.
”Establishing a limited company will allow us to tap into other areas and grow, whilst retaining our most valuable asset, which is our dedicated staff.”
Read the full report and watch the webcast of the debate at executive board here: http://democracy.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/ieListDocuments.aspx?
