News story

5th February 2002

MP feeds in to South Glos. Home Care Review

Following the serious difficulties which arose last Autumn in home care services for people in South Gloucestershire, Northavon MP Steve Webb has now met Mr. Gordon Cole, the independent social care expert who has been asked by the Council to conduct an evaluation of the restructuring of home care services. The MP was contacted before Christmas by a large number of constituents whose home care services were disrupted when services were reorganised and some were contracted out to independent providers such as Brunelcare.

Whilst acknowledging that the transfer had happened smoothly for many residents, Mr. Webb said that where things had gone wrong they had caused great distress for elderly and disabled people and their relatives. It was vital that lessons were learned from this experience if any other council services were to be reorganised. The Lib Dem MP also highlighted the continuing problems of recruiting home care staff in South Gloucestershire and offered some practical suggestions as to how the talents of existing staff could more effectively be used. Gordon Cole told Mr. Webb that he was nearing the end of his evaluation and that he expected his report to be in the public domain later this month.

Speaking after the meeting, Steve Webb said:

“It is a good thing that the social services department has set up an independent evaluation of the reorganisation of home care services, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to feed in to that evaluation. It is vital that lessons are learned for the future and also that the skills of existing staff, who are themselves very committed to providing a first rate service, are used to best effect. I look forward to seeing the results of Mr. Cole’s investigations, and I hope that the Council will respond positively”.

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