Rothercare celebrates 25 years

At 10.30 am tomorrow (Friday, May 28) Cabinet Members from the authority will visit the control hub of the service at its base in Bakersfield Court, Longfellow Drive, Rotherham.

Councillor John Doyle, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, and Councillor Jahangir Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, will be given a tour of Rothercare's Central Control, which now boasts highly sophisticated technology to provide an essential care service for people who require additional support in their own own homes.

Councillor Doyle will cut a celebration cake donated by Staniforths the Bakers; tour the operation room and will meet current and former staff as well as service users.

The not-for-profit service was set up in 1985 and comprised one small radio console at a control centre in Oakhill Flats. Mobile staff used to call at local community centres and communicated with central control staff by using a  hardwired intercom system.

Over the years the service has developed and expanded and has made full use of the new technology available. The 30 staff employed by the service now use sophisticated computer-based systems at Bakersfield Court.

The service takes an average 3,000 calls a week from the 9,000 residents across the Borough who use the service. This results in about 80 emergency mobile responses each week to residents in their homes.

Councillor Doyle congratulated Rothercare, saying it has given a first class service to local residents for a quarter of a century.

He added: "Over the years this service has given invaluable back-up support to those people who wish to continue to live independently within their own homes. It continues to provide an excellent service today and the authority is proud to be able to provide it."