Bexley Council is set to significantly expand its reablement services, aiming to help more residents regain independence and reduce reliance on long-term care. The Adult Social Care & Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussed proposals to increase the number of reablement episodes from approximately 1,800 to 2,000 per year.
This expansion will focus on earlier intervention through community and front-door referrals, aiming to prevent hospital admissions and the need for ongoing care. The success of these expanded services will be measured through key indicators including reductions in ongoing care hours, the proportion of residents requiring no ongoing support following reablement, and the sustainability of outcomes over time. Evidence shows that reablement achieves an average six-hour reduction in care per resident per week, with over 80% of residents reducing long-term social care needs. Analysis indicates that 88% of those with a reduction in care maintain these levels six months post-reablement, and 55% remain fully independent.
Reablement is described as a short-term, intensive, and person-centred intervention designed to help individuals regain independence following illness, injury, or hospital discharge. In 2024/25, the service delivered 1,743 episodes, with nearly 70% of those completing reablement requiring no ongoing care.
The expansion requires an increase in workforce capacity, with an estimated need for 27 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts to safely and effectively deliver the expanded reablement offer. This level of staffing is essential to ensure early intervention, consistent therapy input, and the delivery of meaningful, outcome-focused reablement that reduces reliance on long-term care services. The cost for the additional staffing proposed is £321,000. Financial modelling suggests potential cost savings from 2026/27 onwards, based on an average reduction of 6 hours of care per week per resident and a projected number of reablement episodes.
Two new pathways are being introduced to enhance the service. A new pathway for young people transitioning to adult services, titled 'Preparing for Adulthood,' will focus on developing life skills, daily living skills, and confidence. It aims to reduce early dependency on long-term adult care packages and support positive transitions into adulthood, education, employment, and community participation. Occupational Therapists will lead this work, delivering goal-focused, time-limited interventions aligned to individual aspirations and long-term independence outcomes.
Additionally, a structured Mental Health Reablement pathway is to be developed, supporting functional recovery and community re-engagement. The expansion of the Reablement Service, including the development of this more structured Mental Health Reablement pathway, will be delivered in phases, aligned to workforce recruitment and development, performance monitoring and outcome data, and ongoing scrutiny of quality and impact.
The expanded reablement offer will be delivered in partnership across commissioned reablement care providers and the integrated Bexley Care Reablement Team, which includes both Social Care and Health staff. Residents will also have direct access to urgent health support through the Virtual Ward. The expansion is also aligned with the Council's statutory duties under the Care Act 2014.
Further details on the reablement scrutiny report can be found in the Public reports pack.
