The service has now completed its second successful year. The funding from a Service Agreement with Social Services has allowed the service to continue, and be expanded to included different client groups. We are now able to offer a much needed break to carers of terminally ill, physically disabled as well as older people within their own homes. This is seen as supplementary to any day care which they might receive. The number of clients and staff has varied over the year with some of the original sitters leaving to further their own careers with new staff taken on to replace them.
Training continues and has been expanded to cover the needs of the new client groups.
I look forward to being able to help more people in the coming year and the service going from strength to strength. To date the researcher has made contact with a wide cross section of operators, user groups and supporting agencies in the voluntary and statutory sector. A report is currently being compiled detailing vehicle information and who may use these services. In addition to cataloguing vehicles, part of the report will also endeavour to highlight unmet transport needs of operators, user groups and individuals across the Borough of Test Valley and give an indication of how these unmet needs may be met. Equally important has been the volunteer placement service, whereby potential volunteers, having responded to the publicity, are interviewed and matched with the voluntary opportunities which most seem to suit their needs based on a personal profile.