County could face legal action over disabled care cuts (From Worcester News)
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County could face legal action over disabled care cuts
4:10pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in News By Tom Edwards
COUNCIL chiefs could be hit by a legal challenge over proposals to move disabled people into residential homes or ‘cluster-style’ flats under a plan to save £200,000.
A campaign group has lambasted the idea as “flawed and wrong” and refused to rule out court action if the county council goes ahead.
As your Worcester News first reported in April, the authority wants to offer people with physical or learning disabilities “cheaper” options than at-home care.
From September it wants to water down community care packages so 24-hour attention in service user’s own homes becomes a last resort.
But the WeareSpartacus campaign group has published a highly critical document called ‘Past Caring’ which slams the idea.
The report says “moving people into residential care for purely economic reasons would be a retrograde step”.
Dr Sarah Campbell, from WeareSpartacus, said: “We know that times are hard – disabled people are being hit by cuts to benefits and social care services.
"But the county council’s approach is flawed and wrong. “
Flawed, because this policy will have a series of knock-on effects for health and social care providers which may end up costing even more, and wrong because disabled people should be encouraged and supported to live safely and independently.”
The group also says the proposal could breach the European Convention of Human Rights.
It says the council is leaving itself “wide open” for a court battle from service users, and calls on the authority to abandon it.
About 2,000 people use County Hall’s community care packages per year, which includes a mix of transport to day care centres, flexible visits at home and if needed, around-the-clock support with tasks such as washing, cleaning and shopping.
But at-home care costs up to £3,000 a week and under the policy it would generally be avoided unless families can contribute towards the bill.
If approved, it would only apply to new service users and existing ones whose needs escalate.
Catherine Driscoll, county council head of adult social care, said: “This proposed policy is not about us forcing people into residential or care homes but rather helping them to live as independently as possible, in as cost effective a way as possible.
“While we acknowledge this is a controversial proposal any suggestion that, if implemented, it would reduce standards of care or result in people not having their assessed care needs met is fundamentally wrong.”
The move is currently out for public consultation.
jb says...
12:18pm Sun 5 Aug 12
This is a bold statement considering that due to the fact that personal budgets are already inadequate for many people. Also to say that it will only apply to new service users or individuals who's needs escalate is misleading when reviews take place regularly and assessed needs may change so eventually it's obviously going to apply to ALL service users.
I've given up on social care funding for my son as it was grossly inadequate despite his stated care needs and also yet again unaffordable due to our present family circumstances. The county council are playing a dangerous game with this proposed policy, they don't really understand the current system fully so I dread to think how they will implement these changes if they are passed.
This also raises many questions such as where are these places available in care homes and if individuals and their families can't afford to cover the care costs in their own home just how or who is going to pay for their care in a home?