Minutes:
Following the Chairs request during the pre-briefing for this Scrutiny Committee meeting, The Assistant Director, Adult Social Care, delivered an informal update on the Blue Badge Process as a result of its inclusion in the Forward Plan.
The Assistant Director, Adult Social Care, alluded to the new Governmental Criteria for Blue Badges and how this has affected application volume and re-applications for existing Blue Badges. The Assistant Director, Adult Social Care, noted that the distribution of Blue Badges falls jointly between Adult Social Care and Customer Services, and that a new procedure has been put in place to combat the backlog of applications.
The new procedure ensures that the application processing has been spread across Occupational Therapy Team, rather than falling to one member of staff. Additionally, there is now no requirement for a meeting with Occupational Therapy if one’s condition automatically warrants a Blue Badge.
As a result of the new procedures and criteria, waiting times have been reduced from 16 weeks to 5 weeks (from the start to end of the process) and has hugely reduced the current number of individuals waiting for a Blue Badge.
Members welcomed this and commented on the huge relief this has provided to residents.