[Edinburgh-carecampaign] Update re. deputation to Council on 17th Dec. '09

[Marlyn Tweedie]

As happened last year, there were7?8? deputations to Edinburgh Council the
Thurs. before Xmas.

This year there were deputations on the primary school closures  - Fort;
Burdiehouse; Drumbrae; Royston  (I think)

Also on the closures of 4 of the creche facillities at swimming pools

And Unison and Unite spoke of the difficulties; deterioration in service etc
if the Council chose what is euphemistically called "Alternative business
models"  i.e. code for more privatisation.

Homecare was also being discussed. The Council were being asked to approve a
document which would only have one third of what is called "complex care"
provided by in- house.
Previously - as I understood - all complex care would be in-house as well as
Re-able ( service-users get a re-able service for 6 weeks and then it goes
to the private sector)
This proposal seems to me to be worse  i.e. more rather than less to the
private sector.

I'm not sure from the document if the proportion of private/public is still
75%/25%.
Dread that it might be more.

Anyway the deputations were all impressive  - well researched; intelligently
put; etc.

I'll give a brief outline of Homecare dep. and the questions and responses.

Outlined the experience of the campaign  - through staff; the public;
service-users etc. that there is consistent evidence of staff not turning
up; being continuously late; not knowing what the tasks were.
e.g. one carer from a private agency had 3 visits scheduled for 9.30pm
An example was read out of one service-users experience over 3 - 4 weeks
which involved day after day of simply not getting it right resulting in the
person concerned not getting up; not being cared for while her husband
became more and more stressed.

Points were made that co.'s know how to tender- they write what's needed to
"tick the boxes"  and it's only when they fail that they may not get the
contract renewed but in the meantime how much have vulnerable people
suffered?

The Labour group had an earlier amendment  for 45% in house and 55% private
but this was defeated. It would have represented a considerable improvement
in 25% in house  75% private.

This Council, it was pointed out, run a real risk of allowing the private
sector to dictate the terms and up their prices in the years to come.

Councillors were reminded that it was that generation of elderly who fought
so hard for our welfare state  - *from which we've all benefitted* who are
now being denied basic dignified care. They can no longer fight. We have to
pick up the baton.Our Council has to make a stand.

Questions;  Councillor Eadie -  Was  the campaign aware that the Labour
Admin. group started this process?  This is factually wrong. The Homecare
campaign started in Nov. '07 following a document from the Director of
Health and Social Care which spoke of the 75%/25% split; spoke of
"maximising 30 min slots;" spoke of "only 1 hot meal a day  - frozen meal
re-heated  in 30 mins"
That was 6 months after the SNP/ LD coalition was formed!
He also made the point that these concerns should be taken to the Homecare
Modernisation Board.
The campaign will - and would take these concerns there - there's no
objection in principle  - but there is the matter of demands on time given
work; Trade Union demands etc.
And they have been taken  - like a stuck record - to various forums.
Where the concerns are taken is surely not the issue.

Question   Not sure who asked this  - one of the Liberal Democrat
Councillors I think.  Anyway the gist was that Unison ; the campaign; was
decrying their fellow members in the voluntary sector.

The answer given was, alas, not sharp enough. This from a Council that was
on the brink  - and may still - tender out the voluntary sector!
Our fight is not with voluntary sector organisations. To our knowledge,
organisations like Penumbra; The Action Group; Garvald; Link have not got
contracts to provide domiciliary care for the elderly and disabled that was
formerly provided by Social Care workers and Home Helps.
We've not heard of them. We hear of organisations like Carewatch; Advantage;
J at B; Call in Homecare etc. i.e. private businesses  - some small (and some
of the smaller ones have a good reputation); some large.

The Labour group asked re. a survey which clearly showed service-users
preference for the in- house service. It was helpful to be able to provide
information.

Deputation was worthwhile. The campaign needs to continue voicing it's
experience and challenging the ideas that everything's fine and people are
being well cared for.


Next campaign meeting  Wed. 13th Jan. '10       6pm              Probable
venue  City Chambers    - will confirm.


All welcome
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