Council cuts set to hit services for vulnerable

Yesterday morning devastated care staff were told their jobs are at risk, with a care home for dementia sufferers, a respite centre and day services for adults with learning disabilities all facing the axe within six months.

There are concerns the changes, which could come into force before April, are being “rushed through” and would be “devastating” for the hundreds of people who would be affected.

As reported, the proposals to close Woodside Lodge care home, Kentish Road respite centre and day services were first revealed by Labour council chiefs earlier this year.

They have already proposed cutting 222 other jobs and raising council tax by 1.99 per cent to fill a £30m black hole in the city’s finances in 2015/16.

Earlier this year council health chief Dave Shields said the “twin objectives” of the adult social care proposals were to “improve services, but also we need to meet the demand for improvements within a reducing financial envelope”.

But despite the majority of people who responded in consultation urging them not to go ahead with the plans, they have decided to continue with the proposals and are set to vote on them at a meeting next week.

Woodside Lodge in Wimpson Lane currently has 13 occupants who suffer from dementia. The council says it has the lowest occupancy rate of the city’s three councilrun care homes, and closing it could save £350,000 a year with the loss of 34 jobs. Kentish Road provides respite for the carers of adults with learning disabilities.

But the city council say it is not cost-effective compared to similar facilities in the city, costing £219 for a single overnight stay in comparison to £53 a stay through the Shared Lives scheme, which sees volunteer carers look after people in their own home. Axing it could save £200,000 a year, with the loss of 11 jobs.

And the day services, which include activities such as arts and crafts, gardening and therapy, are currently run from community centres in St Denys, Woolston, Freemantle and Sembal House, as well as four activity centres.

But the services would be scaled back to being run from just Woolston and Sembal House, with up to 84 jobs at risk in a move that would eventually save the council up to £1m a year.

The council says it will work to provide all residents with alternative care, while the “more personalised forms of care” offered through alternatives will better meet future needs.

But the council has been criticised, with Conservative group deputy leader Jeremy Moulton saying: “Day care services in Freemantle will be decimated by the changes, despite lots of families getting in touch with the council through the consultation.

They appear to have been ignored.”

He urged affected residents to attend a meeting of the council’s overview and scrutiny management committee on Thursday, where the proposals will be discussed.

Concerned the plans will be “rushed through” before April, Alex Iles, manager at Southampton-based mental health charity Mencap, added: “It’s disappointing and I’m sure there will be a lot of anxiety.”

‘We were told it wasn’t a done deal’

LYNETTE Hall cares for her 36-year-old daughter Jennie, who attends four day service sessions a week.

The 60-year-old, from Sholing, said: “I’m feeling devastated, and it appears that they haven’t listened to anyone who spoke to them during the consultation.

“To get people used to another provision takes a long time, and we were assured during the consultation that it wasn’t a done deal and that if it did happen it wouldn’t happen quickly.

“I don’t know what their definition of quickly is, but if Kentish Road is potentially closing by April then I’d say that was quickly.

 “My daughter will say this is my fault. To me it seems that nobody really cares apart from the carers.

“The councillors have assured me that they do care, but from where I’m standing they certainly don’t.

“I don’t know where we go from here, they are cutting things so drastically.”