The current chronic shortage of directly employed occupational therapists
in the council has contributed to a backlog of outstanding assessments
within the Independent Living Service.
In order to address some of the capacity issues, a new approach and
structure has been approved to continue to meet our statutory
requirements whilst improving the efficiency of the service. This will be
fully implemented from April 2022.
The backlog of reviews needs to be completed before the new pathway
begins in order to ensure a smooth transition period whilst not impacting
on delivery.
The council has previous experience with the proposed provider and given
the urgent nature of the task and our knowledge of the market, this
approach is the only reasonable option to meet the objective. It is an
extension of the existing community equipment contract and the provider
has a track record in undertaking such activities for Herefordshire Council
and other local authorities. The specification and tender documentation
for the community equipment service provided specifically for the
possibility of extending the contract to encompass occupational therapy
assessments.