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Library opens new chapter
A NEW social care and health information point opens its doors at Amble library tomorrow.
Residents in the town are invited to attend the Middleton Street facility between 10am and 1pm to mark the occasion.
A special ribbon cutting ceremony will take place to honour the new service, which aims to provide adults in the county, who have a disability or illness, as well as older people and carers, with information and advice about services and sources of support which can help them to remain in their own home.
Members of the public who attend Amble library tomorrow will be greeted with festive refreshments and have the opportunity to meet support planners who will give help and advice on local organisations offering support.
The town’s new information point is one of many to have opened throughout the county.
They have been developed through a partnership between Northumberland County Council and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Coun Ian Lindley, executive member for adult care and wellbeing at the county council, said “This is a new scheme which links to the council’s aim of providing better customer access to council services and those offered in the community. We are putting information for adults into the community where it is needed.
“This service will provide a contact for people to enable them to live their lives as they choose and also to assist them to feel part of their community.
“People will also be able to make an appointment to see our support planners who have extensive knowledge of local services, groups and voluntary organisations which offer a range of support for people.”
NHS staff will provide advice and guidance, and information will be available at the information point on support groups, activities available which people can become involved in, entitlements such as attendance allowance and how social services and other organisations are able to provide support.
Coun Neil Bradbury, executive member for customer relations and culture at the county council, said: “This is part of the move to making libraries the place people can access all types of council services. We hope it will provide people with a joined up service in one place and save people having to go from one council building to another.”
“Of course, it also has the possibility to save the council money on running separate buildings, which means we can make sure that residents get a better service at the same time.”
Other new social care and health information points which have opened in the county include those at Morpeth and Berwick libraries.
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Weather for Northumberland
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
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