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Gloucestershire Business News

Eleventh hour solution cooked up for county's community meals

A cobbled together solution for their county's community meals service has been revealed at the eleventh hour.

Gloucestershire County Council has cooked up a six month plan with a patchwork of local community orgnisations while it searches for a permanent provider

The news comes just days before the existing Apetito contract for around 500 people ends on March 31.

While it means the vital service can continue, it also means the council needs to find more money to pay for the service.

Where hot meals cannot be provided, frozen meals will be delivered and care workers sent in to serve it up - with taxpayers footing the bill.

Earlier this month Professor Sarah Scott, director of adult social care for Gloucestershire, said the extra money needed for the interim solution would create a "significant cost pressure" for the council.

Gloucestershire County Council was previously paying Apetito a subsidy of £1.99 per two-course meal.

It has not said how much it is paying for the new arrangements but Cllr Kathy Williams, cabinet member for adults social care delivery, told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "We will get a care provider to go into the home and heat the meal up so there is an extra cost. But we recognise people need this service and it's important to them and we aim to meet that need."

Gloucestershire County Council has known since December it needed to find a solution before the existing meals-on-wheels contract ended. Users of the service were left worried when it emerged previous provider Apetito was quitting the county.

Cllr Williams told the BBC there was "no denying" the uncertainty caused by the situation but it had given the council a chance to talk to people about their needs and improve the service.

She said: "People who are going to be discharged from the hospital are offered this service for six weeks to make sure they are eating well, getting well and getting back on their feet.

"We recognise that daily visits are important as some people may not speak to anyone else all day."

Gloucestershire is one of the few council's that still provides the service, which is not a statutory requirement, and during the pandemic it increased the number of meals provided and paid for.

It has now reduced the number of people it will provide meals for from 570 to around 150 after individual assessments were carried out by its adult services team.

A further assessment of those remaining on the list will be carried out under the Care Act.

Cllr Williams told the BBC: "It has been quite a mammoth task, We have had our assessment teams assessing everyone on the list to make sure their needs are being met. We have just got a few left which we will hit this week and hopefully have everyone ready for Monday."

She said the new arrangement which will run until the end of September will provide a "breather" for the council.

"Our work now is still to find a long-term provider who can carry on and do the meals for us."

From Saturday, April 1, community meals will be served by the following organisations

Gloucestershire

Harry's Country Kitchen will deliver frozen meals covering all areas of the county, with support provided if required.

Stroud

The Grace Network - Eat and Greet will deliver and heat a meal on site Monday to Friday. For weekend meals there is a frozen option with support arranged if required.

GL11 and GL13 postcodes

GL11 Community Hub will provide hot meal delivery Monday to Friday with the option of a chilled or frozen meal at the weekend, with support if required. They are taking on referrals through adult social care only at the moment.

Wotton-Under-Edge

Bunters Café will deliver hot meals Monday-Saturday

Forest of Dean

Dean Forest Kitchen will deliver hot meals seven days a week.

GL7 and GL8 postcodes

Age UK Wiltshire will provide hot meals seven days a week.

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