Challenges and opportunities for reablement in Portsmouth highlighted in council review
Portsmouth City Council has published a review highlighting the role of reablement services in helping elderly and unwell residents live independently.
The review by the council’s housing and social care scrutiny panel outlined the challenges faced by the independent care sector, including both in-home services and care homes, and how the council can better support it.
The review was conducted amid growing pressure on social care, intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic, workforce shortages, rising demand and funding challenges.
A central focus of the review is reablement – support that helps people regain independence and remain in their own homes for longer.
Evidence from council officers, care providers, voluntary organisations and service users highlighted that reablement improves quality of life, supports mental and physical wellbeing, and reduces long-term costs, but is not consistently understood or promoted across the care sector.
Key challenges facing reablement care include recruitment and retention problems, driven by low pay and limited career pathways. Other challenges include an over-reliance on 15-minute visits, fragmented and inflexible funding streams, poor communication and information sharing, and low awareness of reablement services.
The review also highlights strengths in Portsmouth, including strong partnership working, valued voluntary sector support (such as Age UK and Healthwatch), and services such as the Independence & Wellbeing Team, which provides open-access, preventative support.
The review recommended reducing reliance on short care visits, placing greater emphasis on at-home reablement care, and improving communication, information sharing and access to care records.
Cllr Graham Heaney, chair of the scrutiny panel, said “supporting independence” is something the council encourages.
“It’s a really important thing to do for elderly people, and for anyone who’s been in hospital for a long time or who may have a serious condition.
“It’s very good for the individual to be able to do as much as they possibly can, using their independence while your ill can be debilitating and frustrating.
“We recognise the complexity of reablement – the recommendations are not major but they will help us keep on track.”
You can learn more about reablement and rehabilitation services in Portsmouth by visiting the council’s website at: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/adult-social-care/live-well-advice/support-after-a-fall-or-medical-crisis/