Families in Herefordshire will soon have a faster and more efficient route to access vital services thanks to a pilot scheme operating in Bromyard which will be rolled out throughout the county.
Herefordshire Council’s new proposals mean people needing help and support will be assessed in their local region rather than having to travel in to the city or to other towns.
This will save time and prevent people having to repeat their story to many different professionals in different agencies and departments.
The scheme, known as Locality Services, will operate in eight different areas across the county: Bromyard, where it has been in operation for nine months, Ledbury, Mortimer and Leominster, Weobley and Kington, Hereford City North, Hereford City South, Golden Valley and Kingstone and Ross-on-Wye.
Having one set meeting in each location to discuss a number of families at a time will also reduce the costs of holding meetings and cut down on paperwork.
Once a family’s needs have been assessed, the multi-agency group will agree what support is needed.
A six-week review will be built into the process to monitor progress.
This will also be helpful for practitioners who can just take the needs of the family to the group rather than recquiring an in-depth knowledge of what is going on in their area.
Debbie McMillan, from Herefordshire Council, said: “The aim is to improve services for families, and reduce the time spent in meetings, both for organisations involved with families and the families themselves.
“The new approach will enable families to access the services they need where their children live and reduce the need for them to come into the city to receive them.
“The Bromyard pilot has shown how, by working together, agencies and professionals are able to share information better and provide support to families in the communities they live in.”