Essex care company to launch service in Barking and Dagenham

The four-year contract between Barking and Dagenham Council and Essex County Council's ECL will provide therapy and reablement in the home to help patients regain their ability sooner.

“We support people living independently as soon as possible,” ECL’s Joe Coogan said. “We work with the council’s vision to provide therapy-led reablement.”

The contract follows a 12-month pilot scheme giving therapy based on a person’s strengths, helping them to regain skills or new alternative skills and confidence to remain living with minimal support in their own home.

The ECL team has care assistants and clinical practitioners such as physio and occupational therapists setting personal goals during the time a person receives care at home.

They work with families and other healthcare professionals as well as community services and the local authority.

Barking and Dagenham councillor responsible for adult social care, Maureen Worby, said: “We focus on supporting people before they end up in hospital. Our priority is to help them live outside the care system with therapy to recover and be able to self-care for as long as they can at home in their neighbourhood.”

Therapy courses can last up to six weeks, although longer if needed. Referrals are made by health and social care services in hospital or surgeries.

But most people regain the ability to look after themselves in just two to three weeks, the care company points out. 

ECL was started by Essex County Council in 2009 as Britain’s first local authority trading company which now helps 50,000 people a year to live independently in their own homes.

It helps people in Essex, London and the south east, including those with learning disabilities, autism or following a spell of ill health, surgery or an accident, as well as anyone with sensory needs.

Clinical services include physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.