Care firm ban lifted (From Daily Echo)
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Council lifts suspension of care services transfer
6:10am Monday 24th August 2009 in News
A SUSPENSION of the transfer of elderly and disabled home care to two private firms in Southampton has been lifted by the council.
Southampton City Council stopped new placements with Care UK four months ago because of concerns over staffing levels and the quality of care they were providing.
The council says the firm, and a second unnamed provider, are now performing to a “good standard” and expects them to meet their contracted level of care by mid-September.
They were awarded contracts to provide “domiciliary” care services as part of a sweeping changes rolled out in November affecting as many as 1,200 residents.
The number of agencies used by the council was reduced from 19 to five to cut costs.
Care UK was awarded the new contract for most of the west of the city, but many residents were concerned about having new carers.
Council Cabinet member for adult social care and health Ivan White said: “The council has worked very hard with these two care agencies to improve the quality of care and they are now performing to a good standard, enabling the council to fully use their services.”
Care UK admitted that there had been “some short-term local difficulties”
