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Next step in new SBC social care setup agreed

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Councillors have insisted that moving all in-house adult social care services to an arms length company is not privatisation.

The next step towards the creation of a council-owned organisation was taken at a meeting last week.

It is hoped that the limited liability partnership will be established by April 2015 and will save the council over £5.6m over five years.

Councillor Stuart Bell said: “The provision of quality care is dependent on the quality of the carers.

“We have to be confident that staff are feeling committed to this change. It’s only if the business case is understood by staff that we can get their acceptance of the journey.”

Councillor Bell also sought clarity about how the management of the new organisation will monitor their own performance, and what the impact would be on the council of 1,000 staff members and a £17 million budget transferring to the new organisation.

The main objective of the move is to improve the quality of care and support and to offer a wider range of affordable complementary services.

Work will now focus on discussions about the process of implementation with staff, service users, carers and other key stakeholders.

Councillor Frances Renton, executive member for social work and housing said: “The establishment of a new council care company offers significant opportunities for people using services, their carers and SBC.

“The new company will be able to provide a broader range of flexible services more cost effectively whilst maintaining staff terms and conditions.”

She added: “Robust arrangements will be put in place for the council to scrutinise the new company.”

When councillors agreed in January to a detailed business case being produced, they were told “doing nothing is not an option”.

A consultant’s report also stated that continuing with an in-house service was not viable in the medium to long term and would eventually lead to a “stripped-down service where quality is compromised.”


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