Councillor Wendy Pattison is the cabinet member for adult social care. Wendy is responsible for making sure older people in Northumberland receive the quality of service they deserve.
Northumberland Conservatives are committed to reducing inequality across Northumberland, and as a county with an aging population this is the largest area of the council's spending. As the cabinet member for adult social care I am focused on making sure we deliver a quality service for older residents in Northumberland.
My role is to ensure that older people in our county have the best support possible. We know that there is no place quite like your own home and we want to empower everyone to enjoy living in their own home as long as they feel able. Health and wellbeing of older people in Northumberland is part of everything our council does, with each department playing their part.
This week we have been promoting assisted bin collection services where our local services team will help those who struggle with putting their bins out. The fire department meanwhile are always promoting the support they provide to residents to ensure they remain safe in their homes whether that is visiting households to install smoke detectors or provide advice on staying safe at home.
That work is of course additional to the core work undertaken on social care and support. Every day we provide advice and support on ways residents can continue to thrive living independently at home using equipment and adaptions that we can provide and assist with. That might be where life is just becoming more challenging at home or support after a hospital stay or illness.
The carers looking after people in Northumberland are paid the real living wage, a commitment that shows we believe the only way we can attract and retain the talent needed to deliver the quality of service Northumbrians deserve is by attracting and developing the best people.
Reducing inequality is a key priority of Northumberland Conservatives and I am working to ensure that age is no barrier to living a quality life.