News

Council-owned Optalis recieves accreditation

By Laura Herbert
February 22, 2013

The Supported Employment Service (SES) at the council-owned company managing the borough’s adult social care provision has received an accreditation.

The service at Optalis achieved the Support with Confidence accreditation last month.

The scheme is a joint initiative between West Berkshire and Wokingham’s Trading Standards and adult social care departments which check on applicants’ backgrounds, their qualifications and experience, their level of customer service and compliance with legal standards.

This means Support with Confidence can provide a list of approved businesses and individuals for people who want to buy a care and support service.

SES’ assessment process highlighted service staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults, had the correct Criminal Records Bureau checks in place, practiced enhanced customer care, and equality and diversity and has a robust Quality Assurance Policy, which allows clients to give feedback.

Katrina Reeves, SES service manager, said: “We worked hard to demonstrate the excellence the service provides, and were helped by receiving 10 independent references from partners such as Thames Valley Police, the Community Mental Health Team, and private companies, as well as several individual customers whom we have helped over the years.”

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Most recent user comments 4 of 4

I'm looking forward to the headline 'Laura Herbert receives spell checker'.

Reading The Post
25/02/2013 at 08:50

Any invoice paid for by the council over £500 is open to scrutiny by Eric Pickles "army of armchair auditors". They publish a list every month

These companies report very little, not even to councillors.

What would Eric say about that?

Phil Challis, woodley
22/02/2013 at 16:02

It is, PoneRana, but with the added advantage that a private business (owned by the council - no, makes no sense to me either) has fewer responsibilities and legal obligations, and no-one to hold accountable (not that you can hold politicians accountable anyway). Yay.