MEAL services for elderly residents could be reshaped as part of a consultation which has launched this week.

British Red Cross praised Reading Borough Council for its efforts to tackle social isolation, but it is hoped the restructure will offer more opportunities for interaction.

The current contract with the extra care and day services team is due to expire and the council is keen to find new and improved ways of delivering the service.

Councillor Rachel Eden, lead member for Adult Social Care, said: “The expiry to the current contract offers a real opportunity to look again at how meals are provided and design a service which is sustainable and does more than just provide a hot meal for people who need it.

“It was wonderful to see the council praised for its work to help tackle loneliness and social isolation in the town.

"We want to continue with that theme now by working with people and their families to find ways of combining the meals service with new and exciting opportunities for people to get together and share regular meals.

“It is important to note that no need will go unmet as a result of any future changes and that a key element of the consultation process is to identify individual needs and individual requirements.

"It is almost always the case that the best ideas come from the same people who use the service itself and their families, so I would urge as many people as possible to use the consultation to feedback their thoughts.”

The current catering contract sees around 70 meals a week provided at extra care schemes at Cedar Court in Whitley and Oak Tree House in Tilehurst.

Although the current catering contract with White Oaks ended in September, the council has negotiated an interim contract to the end of February 2018 to continue the service while alternative options are considered.

A 12-week consultation started on Monday and runs until January 7.

An online questionnaire can be found at www.reading.gov.uk/extracarecatering or by emailing contracts.team@reading.gov.uk