The Directorate Vision

The Social Services and Housing Directorate has a significant role to play in delivering the Vision for Denbighshire.  To complement the Vision for Denbighshire we have set a Directorate Vision.  The Directorate Vision guides our strategic planning and operational delivery.  The Vision also aligns our work to the wider Denbighshire Vision for 2025.  The Directorate Vision is that:

“We will provide excellent services and increase good social care and housing opportunities that improve people's quality of life. 
We will continuously improve our services to safeguard people, support independence and promote social inclusion.”

The Directorate has 3 main service areas:

A) SOCIAL SERVICES
B) HOUSING SERVICES
C) PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES

A. Social Services
The Social Services Department consists of trained specialist teams.  Some Teams work with a particular group of people, for example people with learning disabilities. Others focus on particular needs such as sight or hearing problems and others on particular situations, for example when children are in need of protection.  The Department provides services to people of all ages:

Services for Adults
Services aim to support people to live in their own home wherever possible.  This can include the provision of care in a person’s home, short breaks, special equipment and home adaptations, day services, and advice on understanding and claiming benefits.  The Department also assists people through the provision of care within Residential and Nursing Homes.

Services for Children
Services are aimed at safeguarding, supporting and promoting the best interests of children, young people and their families.  The Department works in partnership with parents, carers, young people and other agencies to assist with problems arising from family breakdown, illness and disability, behavioural problems, youth crime and abuse.

Business Support and Development
The Department also has a support section which works closely with Services to Adults and services to Children and Families.  This service is the Business and Support and Development.  The aim for this Service is to organise and improve the underlying functions of the Department so well, that front line staff can deliver an even better service to our customers.  This means ensuring that we have Personnel systems and practices that succeed in attracting and keeping staff, systems to ensure the effective planning and monitoring of the budget and systems and practices that promote good communication.

B. Housing Services
The Housing Services Department deals with Housing Strategy and the Allocation, Estate Management and Maintenance of the Council’s Housing Stock, and collection of Housing Rents and Arrears Recovery.  The Council has a stock of 3,477 dwellings and 640 garages as at end of June 2007.  Funding for the provision, maintenance and management of the stock is through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which is separate from the Council Fund.  Homelessness, housing advice and private sector issues, including Lifeline telephones, are a charge on the Council Fund.

C. Partnership Strategies

The Directorate has a strategic lead in developing, and co-ordinating, the delivery of key strategies which aim to:
• promote the Health and Social Care Wellbeing of the residents of Denbighshire
• deliver the requirements of the National Service Frameworks in conjunction with Health partners
• strengthen the provision of services to Children and Families through a Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership support community development and co working between statutory, voluntary agencies and local communities, to promote social inclusion
The Directorate also works closely with other Directorates on key areas of corporate work that benefit the people of Denbighshire, specific examples include; work to promote Health Challenge Denbighshire, Anti-Poverty, Energy Efficiency, Equality of Opportunity & Accessible buildings,  and improvement in the nutritional value of meals/refreshments, working to improve attainment and educational development of Children Looked After with Lifelong Learning, a reduction in the number of injuries and accidents to young people, effective and efficient passenger transport service.

The Communication Strategy for Social Services and Housing can be found here Our aims for 2007-10 in relation to our directorate’s communications are outlined in this strategy, as are our overarching goals. The action plan in each section specifies how we will achieve our goals and is reviewed every year.