Care Homes U-Turn Is ‘The Right Move’

The care homes U-turn is not a huge surprise but it will leave many longer-serving Highland councillors with egg on their faces. There is no policy – or in this case reversal of policy – by the new political Highland Council that could ingratiate itself better with the electorate.

By the new SNP/Independent coalition over-turning unpopular plans to transfer the six care homes to the private sector they will be making the right kind of headlines – something which the previous Arthur McCourt-led adminstration struggled to do.

There was a singular lack of confidence in the process that had been undertaken by the old council including the figures advanced to support the case for transfer of the homes including Grant House in Grantown.

The context for the change presumably is that there is renewed confidence and an expectation from the council that more funding could be available from the new Executive for care of the elderly in the Highlands.

The SNP Government earlier this week pledged to raise the bar in delivering free personal care to thousands of older, vulnerable people across the country.

Payments for personal and nursing care have remained static under the Labour-Liberal Executive since the policy was introduced in 2002 putting huge pressures on the social work budgets of local authorities.

Already a commitment has been made by Cabinet Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon that payments for free personal and nursing care in care homes will be uprated in line with inflation.

An independent review under Lord Sutherland will also be established to investigate the level and distribution of funding to councils such as Highland to properly deliver free personal care.

Hopefully the figures will stack up for the council next time so that the huge and expensive commitment – if agreed by councillors – to improve care for all the elderly in Badenoch and Strathspey and elsewhere in the region will be fulfilled.