A NEW SOCIAL ENTERPRISE set up within Dartmoor to meet local social care needs briefed their local MP today (11/11/16) on their success so far and their plans for expanding their service. Jo Wymer and Julia Darby of North East Dartmoor Care (NEDCare) told Central Devon MP Mel Stride how their not-for-profit support services are already assisting those in our remoter rural communities to access social care at home through their signposting service. They also outlined their plans to recruit staff and achieve the regulated status required to offer social care support direct through their own team of professional social carers. Funding for the social enterprise has come by way of a crowd funding appeal on the internet which raised around £10,000 and a top up donation from the League of Friends of Moretonhampstead Hospital.
Julia explained:
“It is estimated that 200 people a year in our local area struggle to get the regulated care they need and that many people cannot return home after periods in hospital because of the lack of support close to home. This is especially the case for those in more rural areas. We aim to develop a service that fills these gaps. We have now advertised for an experienced manager to take us through the process of securing regulated status, after which we will be taking on a dedicated team.
Mel added:
“This is an excellent new social enterprise aimed at addressing one of the key challenges facing rural communities today - the provision of high quality social care to residents in our more remote locations. Currently the provision of this support is too often a struggle for existing traditional providers - a community based approach has the potential, through closer engagement with local communities to provide a solution.”
For more information about NEDC visit www.nedcare.org.
