Job fears over Calderdale care changes

A SCHEME to give elderly and vulnerable people more control over the care they receive is facing opposition from some council staff because of threatened job cuts.

At least five jobs are to go and many more workers will see their roles change significantly according to the council’s social care director Jonathan Phillips.

In a report to councillors, he says there is a general feeling that some of the reductions are unavoidable but concern that workloads will not reduce and there will be a loss of experience and capacity to do the work.

The situation has been made worse by the decision to make savings in the £24 million budget by not permanently filling vacant posts.

Calderdale Council has been introducing “Personal Budgets” so that people requiring care services have the cash to buy what they want from whatever source best suits them.

“The principle is to enable people to have greater control over the services they receive,” Mr Phillips told the governance and business committee.

“We are on track to achieve the target of having 30 per cent of eligible service users on personal budgets by April.”

But the move requires major organisational changes in assessing the needs of people and the care management process “in order to deliver a more lean and efficient service and to reduce costs.”

“Some staff are opposed to the deletion of the senior practitioner role and its replacement by a smaller number of team leaders.

“Officers firmly believe this is the right course of action to provide more robust management in a key area of council activity and to deliver a more cost effective structure.”

A reduction in the number of care managers has already saved nearly £100,000.

“Indications are that subject to decision on staff numbers and post grades, a saving in the region of £200,000 per year could be achieved. Changes to the skill mix will be phased in a way that enables changes to be achieved without the need for compulsory redundancies,” said Mr Phillips.

The committee will meet on Tuesday, November 16, to decide whether to press ahead with the changes.