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Cuts in council services                 14/11/11

 

Sirs,

In response to your news item on “worst case scenario” of council cuts next financial year of up to £7m, I welcome the opportunity provided by the Council Leader, Angus Campbell, to consult widely across island communities on the stark choices we all face. Difficult political decisions require to be made once the Scottish Govt settlement is finally known.

I attended the meeting at Carinish Hall, and the consultation requested attendees to respond, after discussion, to a menu listed on two-sided A4 paper, containing information on key service areas, and present annual expenditure incurred. A sliding-scale tool for each service had to be marked by respondents under each head for either

(i)    current expenditure to continue, or

(ii)   reductions, to varying degrees, to

(iii) discontinuing a particular service (eg subsidy on Benbecula/Barra air flights).

This is a blunt tool really, but it is a start and the collation of this information will present a majority view, which may command a higher level of unanimity among the electorate. I understand this consultation is about to go on-line, to capture many more views and suggestions, before final decisions are reached. This is a healthy sign of democracy in action.

A number of key principles are important to observe in this process, and in particular the statutory duties and responsibilities carried by the council, ie inescapable commitments. What is a desirable service and what is essential?

This consultation and method used did not permit of any view which wished to highlight the need for expected growth in demand in any service area, and a consequential increase in expenditure. This concerns me, especially with regard to services for our older and more vulnerable service-users: this at a time when the Social and Community Service Dept of the Comhairle has “capped” the delivery of Home Care hours at Feb 2010 budget levels. Also, eligibility criteria for access to services have been hiked up, and waiting lists established for those assessed as having “substantial needs.”

We are all too well aware of demographic trends, which will see a massive increase in the numbers of those aged over 75 years (80% increase by year 2033), and also the national “transformational” agenda, which intends to shift the balance of care from institutions to the community. This has clear implications for our community care services and this fact must be factored in to the present debate. Resource transfer, ie re-directing finance from one service area (hospitals) to the community (Home Care) necessitates agreement via the Joint Services Committee of the Community Health and Social Care Partnership. A number of service users from the APU hospital, and the chair of the Western Isles Carers, Users and Support Network have voiced their views recently, in no uncertain terms.

The Scottish Govt has made £70m available to the 32 Local Authorities, under the heading of “Change Fund” to facilitate this strategic direction of travel. The Comhairle has received £531,000 from this source, but there is little evidence to date as to how this money is being used. The Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has recently indicated that at least 20% of this money should be ring-fenced to support informal family carers, ie those looking after a dependent family relative. Additionally, she expressed a view that this may be better channelled through the Voluntary sector. I hope the next meeting of the CHaSCP Joint Services C’ttee meeting in December will address this matter and firm up on proposals for ensuring this money finds its way to front-line services and in particular family carers.

Is it not ironic that at a time when we are struggling with much angst to find council cuts to budgets, and agree on priority areas of expenditure and services to be protected, we seem to have some difficulty in actually disbursing existing and new money? I am informed that if this Change Fund money is not used this financial year, it will be lost.

I ask your readers to lobby councillors and members of NHS Health Board who will be meeting in December to further discuss the best use of this “Change Fund”. The six locality planning groups of the CHaSCP should also consult and make their views known.

 

Andrew Walker

3 Kyles Flodda

Isle of Benbecula

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