Date published: 2025-11-05 | Category: Adult Social Care and Health, Delivering for local residents, Preparing for the Future
Waiting times are dropping for people receiving care from Bath & North East Somerset Council due to a significant overhaul of Adult Social Care services.
The number of people waiting for a Care Act Assessment, which is the way social workers understand someone’s needs and what help is available to them, fell dramatically from 201 people in January to 65 in October this year.
Occupational Therapy waiting times have also fallen thanks to both a new Occupational Therapy assessment centre, which opened in June at the council’s Combe Lea Care Home in Midsomer Norton, and additional staff. The waiting list has fallen from 229 in January to 41 in August this year.
Also, 74 per cent of people requiring an annual review, which makes sure someone’s support needs are being met appropriately, have had theirs within a one-year timescale.
These improvements come as the service receives an average of 255 new care assessment requests each month.
A report to councillors next week says strong progress is being made to transform Bath & North East Somerset Council Adult Social Care Services.
Feedback from people using services is overwhelmingly positive with 90 per cent of respondents saying their experience is good and they say they feel listened to, supported, and involved in their care.
Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for Adult Services, said: “Our frontline staff are central to shaping the future of care and it is very reassuring to see such positive feedback from people who use our services. The council is investing £1.79 million, over two years, to transform our adult services and I am pleased to see this is already paying off, with improvements like reduced waiting times that are already making a real difference to people’s lives.”
Cabinet members will consider the report when they meet on Thursday 13 November. You can watch the meeting which starts at 6.30pm on the council’s Youtube channel.