Panel discussion with service users, carers, staff and other representative groups as to how service based transport has impacted upon Day Centre services.
Minutes:
In total the meeting was attended by approximately 40-50 people. These included service users, carers and staff from local Day Centres. Panel Members were keen to hear the views of all those attending and devoted the first part of the meeting to an open discussion about the impact of service based transport. The following highlights the main issues to arise from this discussion:
The Chair emphasised to all those present that the purpose of the meeting and the review itself was to assess what impact the new model of passenger transport service (service based transport) has had within day care centres and not about whether transport should be provided.
Service users
§ Service users emphasised how important the day centre was to them in terms of day care services, opportunities for socialisation and the respite it provided for their carers. In this context, safe and reliable transport to the day centre was perceived to be critical in them being able to enjoy these life enhancing benefits and that they were very thankful for this service.
§ Service users attending the meeting on the whole, were very appreciative of the transport service to and from day centres. It was indicated that the new transport system was reliable, punctual and much more comfortable than the previous centralised service. The reliability of the new transport service gave service users peace of mind.
§ A number of service users indicated that they had previously used Dial-a-Ride to access day centres. However, Dial-a-Ride proved to be too unreliable and too inflexible enough to allow service users to access day centres in that it was difficult to book transport, bookings could not be made more than a day in advance and the system lacked capacity. The new service based transport system had given additional transport capacity and more flexibility to allow service users to get to day centres.
§ A number of service users from more than one day centre also indicated that the new transport system had increased and broadened opportunities for them during the day. Having access to transport services during the day had for instance enabled day centre users to go to the park, attend local and central London museums and go to local events such as car boot sales.
§ There was a difference of opinion among some service users as to whether the development of service based transport had extended the time at which some service users could spend at the day centre. Some indicated that the flexibility of the new transport system had enabled them to stay at the centre for longer, whilst others indicated that this had had little impact, with attendance restricted to 11am through to 2pm.
§ Service users noted that the new driver/escort role had improved the level of care that was provided on the transport. A number of service users indicated that they were helpful and provided support from their home all the way to the centre.
Carers
§ Some carers noted that the new service based model of passenger transport was better as it was more flexible. One carer noted that they could now vary the pick-up and drop-off times of their daughter which was helpful for their own needs.
§ Some carers were questioning as to why the bus did not always arrive on time. Day centre mangers responded by suggesting that by offering a flexible transport system it was not able to always give concrete times for pick-up or drop-off. There were also unforeseeable traffic problems which made difficult to rigidly stick to specific drop-off and pick-up times.
§ A small number of carers indicated that the journey time for their relatives was still unacceptably long. One parent indicated that the journey time for their son was 90 minutes which was a long time to spend on transport each day. The service responded that it was aware that journey times for some service users remained unacceptable long, but these long journey times were now the exception within the new service based transport model. Further improvements were expected when the new fleet of vehicles were delivered.
§ A number of carers indicated that under the old centralised passenger transport service the level of care provided by drivers/ escorts to service users was not always that consistent. Some carers indicated how difficult it was to have their child returned to their care in a poor state (i.e. personal hygiene not maintained). Carers noted that new role for drivers/escorts had helped to develop the level and continuity of care and that the instances of children being returned to them in a poor state had reduced. Similar concerns were raised concerning the degree to which escorts/service users engaged with service users on the journey.
§ Carers also raised the issue of emergency cover and maintenance of the vehicles now that they are managed locally. Service managers reported that there was a Service Level Agreement with the Ashley Road depot relating to governance issues around the vehicle which included: emissions compliance, regular maintenance checks and ensuring that the vehicles are fully compliant with statutory regulations.
Day Centre Staff
§ A day centre manager indicated that the new service based transport system was much cheaper and more flexible than the old centralised passenger service. The additional flexibility of the new transport service had helped service users to access urgent medical appointments and also used to help them to visit relatives to help them maintain their social networks.
§ There were a number of drivers attending the meeting who were keen to emphasise the improvements that service based transport has brought to their role at the day centre. One driver indicated that in the previous centralised transport service, it felt as if they were just a number. However, within the new service based transport model, the driver felt that they were part of the day centre team; their new role enabled them to work more closely with service users and other day centre staff.
§ Drivers also indicated that the journey on the bus is much more participative for service users within the service based transport. As this model has dedicated drivers and escorts, activities (such as quizzes) can be planned to make the journey more stimulating and enjoyable.
§ A day centre manager indicated that the new service based model of passenger transport was more adaptable to service user’s needs. Previously, service users who lived out of the borough (but were still the responsibility of LBH) did not have access to transport services as the old centralised system could not go out of borough.
§ One Community Centre Manager (Irish Centre)indicated that they currently only have access to service based transport for 3 days a week and it would be helpful to service users if this was extended to 5 days per week.
§ Day centre manager also indicated that the new transport system was more responsive to needs of service users and their carers. The example was given of where the drop off for a service user was changed as late as 4pm to respond to the needs of the carer. It was noted that the routes were often changed to vary pick-up/drop-off times to suit the needs of individual carers.