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Home care in danger
• THE Tribune asked me yesterday what I knew about plans to privatise home care. I could only answer “Nothing”, since what I learn about social services I get from your paper rather than from social services itself.
After requesting an interview with the social services’ partnership manager (partner to whom?) on October 2, I put several questions to her which she promised to pass on to the sections concerned. Over two weeks later I have had no reply.
Most Islington residents are ideologically and practically opposed to privatisation, and particularly to takeovers within the NHS.
They would most probably also strongly oppose any handover of personal services hitherto provided by the council’s home care workers because their elected council could no longer be held accountable for conditions or answerable to complaints.
Such an important change as take-overs of council services by private firms should be subject to public consultation beforehand, especially of ratepayers.
The council’s handover of residential care homes to Care UK – about which we were only informed after it had taken place – led to its cutting the wages of 83 care staff by 50 per cent. This caused indignation by the union concerned and by many others. This reinforces people’s fears and disapproval of takeovers by private profit-oriented firms.
Part of the social services’ budget is financed by council tax, so those who pay it should have a right to be consulted on how it is run. But they lack enough information to comment usefully.
For years, I have repeatedly requested regular, at least annual, reports, including information about development plans, but in vain. This is both undemocratic and unhelpful to potential clients. If the department insists on handing over responsibilities to outside bodies, it seems reasonable to expect its staffing to be proportionately reduced.
ANGELA SINCLAIR
Secretary, Islington Pensioners’ Forum
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