BUDGET CUTS are set to hit Richmond’s elderly and vulnerable people hard. With Christmas fast approaching, the news has come at a very unwanted time. Andy Roberts looks at the strain placed on families in the light of two possible day care closures in the borough.Richmond Council’s plan to save £100,000 from its day care budget by closing Tangley Hall Dementia Unit and Twickenham Day Care Centre has come under fire by angry users.
The proposal, which will be decided at a council cabinet meeting in January 2011, aims to send people across the borough to Elleray Hall Day Care in Teddington and Linden Hall Day Care in Hampton.
Richmond were one of 46 out of 87 English councils worried about funding for care services in last month’s BBC poll.
“Yes, we were one of those councils who expressed immediate concern,” said a Richmond Council spokesman.
“We are currently reviewing social care services to ensure the council meets the needs of the most vulnerable people in the borough.”
But the move has sparked campaigns and over 1,500 signed petitions by families affected, to save the over 60s day centre and dementia unit.
Elleray Hall chairman, Stephen King, believes there is major cause for concern if the pilot goes ahead, after speaking to a Tangley user at a public meeting at Meadows Hall last week.
“I can honestly say they will not get the same level of service as they are currently getting,” said Mr King.
“We would generally welcome people to Elleray providing they are accompanied by carers.
“Although we could take Twickenham users, we would have extreme difficulty taking ones from Tangley.”
Linden Hall co-ordinator, Leslie Black, echoed similar feelings.
“Twickenham users could be catered for if they fitted into the profile we already have,” said Mrs Black, who admitted Linden would require extra workers.
“But in our current state we are not funded for that as we have two full-time staff, some volunteers and a cook.”
If plans get the green light in the New Year, Richmond’s elderly and vulnerable people will face the prospect of longer bus trips to smaller facilities, as one family has discovered.
Ray Jordan, 80, primary carer for his wife, said proposals to close Tangley could mean users end up paying a huge personal price.
“It will make a long journey for the people concerned and an impossible day for the carers who won’t know when the people they care for are being picked up or dropped off,” said Mr Jordan.
“My wife uses Tangley frequently and it makes all the difference to her - they know how to occupy her and it is such an excellent place with enthusiastic staff.”
He also warned the council to think twice about the damage they may cause to families.
“It is emotionally devastating for us - we plead with the council not to close our facilities,” he added.
The full impact of the final amount of resource available to Richmond Council will be declared in two weeks time.
Since adult social care can comprise anything up to 50% of councils’ controllable budgets, protecting social care services will be very challenging in the light of a 26% reduction in government funding to local government.
“There will be some very tough decisions given the overall level of money available,” said Richmond Council’s spokesman.
And despite growing criticism, the council is determined to fight for the protection of services to its most vulnerable members in the long term.
“We are looking at new ways of working in order to provide people more choice and control over the services they receive, as well as making important efficiency savings,” he added.
The council hopes to include a Care Funding Calculator to re-negotiate contracts and to better them of block contracts.
“Yes, we were one of those councils who expressed immediate concern,” said a Richmond Council spokesman.
“We are currently reviewing social care services to ensure the council meets the needs of the most vulnerable people in the borough.”
But the move has sparked campaigns and over 1,500 signed petitions by families affected, to save the over 60s day centre and dementia unit.
Elleray Hall chairman, Stephen King, believes there is major cause for concern if the pilot goes ahead, after speaking to a Tangley user at a public meeting at Meadows Hall last week.
“I can honestly say they will not get the same level of service as they are currently getting,” said Mr King.
“We would generally welcome people to Elleray providing they are accompanied by carers.
“Although we could take Twickenham users, we would have extreme difficulty taking ones from Tangley.”
Linden Hall co-ordinator, Leslie Black, echoed similar feelings.
“Twickenham users could be catered for if they fitted into the profile we already have,” said Mrs Black, who admitted Linden would require extra workers.
“But in our current state we are not funded for that as we have two full-time staff, some volunteers and a cook.”
If plans get the green light in the New Year, Richmond’s elderly and vulnerable people will face the prospect of longer bus trips to smaller facilities, as one family has discovered.
Ray Jordan, 80, primary carer for his wife, said proposals to close Tangley could mean users end up paying a huge personal price.
“It will make a long journey for the people concerned and an impossible day for the carers who won’t know when the people they care for are being picked up or dropped off,” said Mr Jordan.
“My wife uses Tangley frequently and it makes all the difference to her - they know how to occupy her and it is such an excellent place with enthusiastic staff.”
He also warned the council to think twice about the damage they may cause to families.
“It is emotionally devastating for us - we plead with the council not to close our facilities,” he added.
The full impact of the final amount of resource available to Richmond Council will be declared in two weeks time.
Since adult social care can comprise anything up to 50% of councils’ controllable budgets, protecting social care services will be very challenging in the light of a 26% reduction in government funding to local government.
“There will be some very tough decisions given the overall level of money available,” said Richmond Council’s spokesman.
And despite growing criticism, the council is determined to fight for the protection of services to its most vulnerable members in the long term.
“We are looking at new ways of working in order to provide people more choice and control over the services they receive, as well as making important efficiency savings,” he added.
The council hopes to include a Care Funding Calculator to re-negotiate contracts and to better them of block contracts.
They would also like to establish a reablement service to reduce people’s reliance on long term support, and an adoption of a retail model that cuts cost and improves choice for those who require equipment.
“We are asking residents about the types of services they want the council to provide in the residents ‘All in one survey’ which will inform our future plans for the council including social care,” said the council’s spokesman.
It is anticipated the council will move towards a commissioning model of allocating funding to the voluntary sector to allow services to meet the need of the borough.
But Director of Public Affairs for Carers UK, Steve Mackintosh, explained there is no hiding place when it comes to budget cuts.
"It is absolutely vital that local councils continue to prioritise spending on social care,” said Mr Mackintosh.
"Unless they do, the dignity and independence of older and disabled people will be undermined and more families will be forced out of work and pushed to breaking point in order to care for them."
Families are likely to create ill-health for themselves as they try to balance care, work and their children. This chain reaction of events will damage the economy as people leave their jobs.
"It's down to each local authority to protect the most vulnerable and frail in their community by promising to preserve local care funding and spend every penny of the £2.1bn earmarked by the Treasury on social care,” added Mr Mackintosh.
The additional money will come in two parts – half of the money (£1.1bn) will come from an increase in Department of Health funding for councils; with the rest of the extra money for adult social care coming from the NHS, allocated to Primary Care Trusts and new GP consortia.
But there are fears the extra money that is not ring-fenced, may not be put entirely into social care. The people of Richmond are hoping this is not the case as they patiently wait for a decision to be made next month.
“We are asking residents about the types of services they want the council to provide in the residents ‘All in one survey’ which will inform our future plans for the council including social care,” said the council’s spokesman.
It is anticipated the council will move towards a commissioning model of allocating funding to the voluntary sector to allow services to meet the need of the borough.
But Director of Public Affairs for Carers UK, Steve Mackintosh, explained there is no hiding place when it comes to budget cuts.
"It is absolutely vital that local councils continue to prioritise spending on social care,” said Mr Mackintosh.
"Unless they do, the dignity and independence of older and disabled people will be undermined and more families will be forced out of work and pushed to breaking point in order to care for them."
Families are likely to create ill-health for themselves as they try to balance care, work and their children. This chain reaction of events will damage the economy as people leave their jobs.
"It's down to each local authority to protect the most vulnerable and frail in their community by promising to preserve local care funding and spend every penny of the £2.1bn earmarked by the Treasury on social care,” added Mr Mackintosh.
The additional money will come in two parts – half of the money (£1.1bn) will come from an increase in Department of Health funding for councils; with the rest of the extra money for adult social care coming from the NHS, allocated to Primary Care Trusts and new GP consortia.
But there are fears the extra money that is not ring-fenced, may not be put entirely into social care. The people of Richmond are hoping this is not the case as they patiently wait for a decision to be made next month.
1 comment:
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