Pressure Group Slams Council Over Elderly Services

A lobbying group yesterday issued a declaration of no confidence in Highland Council’s management and provision of services for the elderly. The Highland Senior Citizens Network has sent a leaflet to councillors and a letter to local authority chief executive Arthur McCourt outlining its concerns on the sale of council care homes, respite care and home care.

Although it is not aligned to any political party, the organisation has also vowed to highlight the issues in the run-up to the council elections on 3rd May.

But the chairman of the council’s social work and housing committee, Councillor Margaret Davidson, was disappointed by the network’s actions and said it should have spoken to the council instead of throwing stones.

Dr Ian McNamara, chairman of the network, explained why it had chosen now to issue the declaration. “It has been bubbling away for a long, long time,” he said. “It is a continuing frustration. To some extent, we are putting down a marker for the next council.

“It is the intention of the Highland Senior Citizens Network to bring the concerns of the elderly to prospective candidates and to ask for their views and stand on the issue of care homes, for example.”

Dr McNamara said the care home sell off was the issue most raised on the doorsteps during last year’s council by-election in Lochardil and did not believe it was too late to reverse the policy.

The leaflet posted to councillors claims the network has gathered evidence that the council’s social work and housing committee has made decisions which have a detrimental effect on services and decisions have been neither transparent nor accountable.

However the network stressed it recognised the dedication of social work staff.

But Councillor Davidson refuted the allegations made by the network. “My first reaction on receiving this was one of huge disappointment by a lack of understanding and support for some of the really difficult decisions we struggle with and some of the successes we have. I wish they would talk to us more and throw stones less.”

She said there were no delayed discharges in the Highlands, for example, and no one was waiting for free personal care.

Councillor Davidson said the decision on care homes was taken at the end of a three-hour debate. “That is democracy and that is how it works,” she stated.