Budget: ‘The Tories’ Attack on Older People’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cllr Teresa Murray, Labour Spokesperson for Community Services, spoke last night about how Medway’s Tories have abandoned older people in Medway.  She highlighted the changes to concessionary fares, the reduction in social services care and the discarding of the £30 million plans for centres of excellence for older people.
There was also fierce debate about the cuts to sports centres, such as the Stirling and Black Lion, which have hit local communities hard, at a time when millions have been poured into large-scale and obscure sporting events.
Cllr Murray said,
“This year the Tories have shown their true colours- they bleat about being concerned for people on fixed incomes, but have cut services and increased costs for pensioners across the board this year, and will be doing so again in the coming year.  Social care has borne the brunt of the cuts, with assistance at home restricted to only those in the greatest need, meaning thousands of people who were helped with things like cooking and getting dressed will be left to fend for themselves.”
“They are also cutting costs by transferring the staff into the private sector, which they freely admit means staff will get a huge pay cut, fewer holidays and poorer conditions.”
“People who use the link service centres have also been betrayed.  The Tories said we were scaremongering when we said they wanted to sell the land, but sadly we’ve been proved right.  Incredibly, they’re turning down £30 million pounds from the Government to develop centres of excellence for older people’s care so they can get their hands on the money for the land at Shaws Wood and elsewhere.  This really shows where the Tories’ priorities lie.”
“On top of this, facilities, staff and opening hours have been cut at leisure centres which has hit daytime users such as pensioners and families the hardest.  The Tories simply couldn’t care less for the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Notes to Editors:
· Adult Services - Older people
      Outsourcing in-house Homecare Services
      Savings of £413 000 -costs are much lower in the independent sector.
      “Based on the current cost of the in-house homecare service (£802k) the average unit cost is £34 per hour.  This reflects the Council’s generous terms and conditions and the inflexibility of staff contracts.  Domiciliary care can be purchased in the independent sector for an average of around £13 per hour, principally due to lower salaries, less generous leave and sickness entitlements and the fact that staff are often not paid for travel time.  I do not agree with underpaying any staff for their work. However staff who get higher pay do not always necessarily deliver better care. It depends on a combination of personal motivation, careful supervision, regular training and personal competence. “
· The Cabinet approved the closure of the crèche facilities at Black Lion, Strood and Hoo.
· The Cabinet agreed that opening hours for the Stirling Centre will be from 4pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and all day Wednesdays on a trial basis from January 2008, (in addition to the opening hours of 5pm - 11pm during weekdays and unchanged opening hours at the weekend).
· Cabinet agreed to set threshold for Social Care at Substantial and Critical
Up to 1,755 current service users will no longer receive a service.
Expecting challenges and complaints from affected service users and their families.
Savings of £2,854,640 net in a full year.
· The Woodlands and Shaws Wood scheme has been given an in principle award of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits, from The Departments of Health and Communities and Local Government, totalling £31.38m, to be paid as an annual revenue stream, over a 25- year period.
Cabinet gave delegated authority to the Director of Community Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Adult Services to:
1] Formally withdraw from the Woodlands and Shaws Wood PFI/LIFT scheme, recognising the loss of PFI credits.
The extra care schemes at Shaws Wood and Lennox Wood could realise capital receipts, which could be reinvested in Member priorities.