Users beg to save Cambuslang carers group from closure

FAMILIES who rely on the lifeline services provided by Cambuslang Community Carers and Rutherglen (CCCR) have made a desperate appeal to save the organisation.

And staff members have revealed the devastating toll the news has taken on those they care for.

The plea comes with the group in its death throes after South Lanarkshire Council pulled the plug on funding last week – exactly 20 years ago since the group celebrated being fully-staffed for the first time.

Showdown talks between Social Work officers and the CCCR board failed to save the group, and they will be declared insolvent on Friday, March 11, with 26 employees finding themselves out of work.

The council say the group has been mismanaged over the past five years and, despite an action plan being completed by the group, it has come too late.

Devastated users are begging someone to step in with the money that could keep them going, while staff and board members have launched a stinging attack on the council and elected representatives across Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

Interim Chairman John Edgar and manager Suzanne Donachie have slammed all 12 local councillors for failing to support them and have accused the council of paying lip service.

They say officers have refused to grant them a Service Level Agreement, which would have allowed them to apply for funding from other sources, and have ignored an action plan that would save them nearly £40,000 a year.

They also say the council reneged on an agreement to fund six redundancy packages.

However, local politicians have hit back with many saying that they had not been informed of the situation, and others, notably Provost Russell Clearie, furiously defending his position.

Mothers Kathleen Gallagher and Jackie Mount, who use the service to help them care for their young children, are now pleading with someone to put up the money before Friday.

They are worried about the effect the changes could have on their kids.

Kathleen’s nine-year-old daughter Ailis suffers from Leigh’s Disease and she said: “I will not receive the service from the council that I currently get. I have had council workers in my home and the two services are not comparable. They are in and out as fast as possible.”

Jackie, who gets three hours respite from caring for son, Jordan (10), who suffers from Hurlers Syndrome, every few weeks, is equally angry.

She said: “Jordan asked me the other day when Angela (his regular carer) was going to be back, I just didn’t know what to say to him.

“The council have not come to us, as clients, and asked what we want.”

Carers are also livid at the news. Eleanor Allan suffers from MS and not only got her job with the carers back after being diagnosed, but she has been able to befriend a fellow MS sufferer in her 80s.

She said: “The lady I care for does not want anyone else in and when I finish and there is no chance I will get another job.”

Fellow carer, Mary McErlane added: “The saddest thing was a 92-year-old I care for who told me that when her social worker left, it was the loneliest she had ever felt.”

All the care staff the Reformer spoke to said they would not work for the council out of principle, despite the authority saying they would be invited to apply for roles.

Finance administrator Fiona Simpson summed up the feelings of staff, saying: “I’m completely disgusted that the council have allowed this to happen. It is not just people who receive care that are affected, family members and staff are also involved.

“I’ve been here since I left school nine years ago, this is the only job I know.”

The carers’ chair, John Edgar, pointed the finger at the local councillors for failing to support the organisation.

He said: “They have been paying lip service to us.

“We actually had a client who phoned me on Thursday and offered us her life savings to save the organisation. We obviously had to refuse but that was a wonderful gesture.

“I don’t even think the council looked at our action plan. This is not the board’s or the staff’s fault. The blame for this lies with South Lanarkshire Council.”

The group’s manager, Suzanne Donachie, added: “We have one woman of 80 who is going from nine hours of care a week to just two with the council. People will not receive the same level of care.”

The group’s claims have been rubbished by Provost Russell Clearie, who said they failed to keep their finances in order.

He also said people would still receive the care they needed: “For four years I have been negotiating and helping, but the group was not professionally-run and that was indicated to the board.

“They did not have a business plan and they didn’t come up with an action plan until the 11th hour. That’s something we have been asking for, for the past four years.

“People have got to realise that the community carers have gone insolvent by themselves and the council will have to pick up the pieces.

“The most important thing is that the users are not disadvantaged.”

However, John Edgar believes that the new board, which has only been in place since October, deserved a chance to sort out the mess.

Glasgow Rutherglen MSP James Kelly said it was “very disappointing,” that a solution could not be found.

He added: “The organisation is well regarded in the area. They provide an excellent service.

“I am concerned that jobs are being lost as well as the impact on people that use the service.”

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said they had been left with little option but to end funding.

They said: “The council was advised by the Board of Cambuslang Community Carers Rutherglen (CCCR) that it cannot continue to operate beyond March 11, 2011. As a limited company and registered charity, CCCR have a number of obligations that they must adhere to in order to comply with the requirements of Companies House and the Office of the Charity Regulator (OSCR).

“The council is currently working to ensure that those individuals who currently receive services are reviewed and that appropriate arrangements are put in place to ensure continuity of service provision.

“CCCR has provided services for a number of years and has been supported by the council in a variety of ways over this period. Unfortunately, we are now in a situation where we need to ensure that support for service users is secured through the council.”

Users beg to save Cambuslang carers group from closure

Mar 9 2011 by Douglas Dickie, Rutherglen Reformer

FAMILIES who rely on the lifeline services provided by Cambuslang Community Carers and Rutherglen (CCCR) have made a desperate appeal to save the organisation.

And staff members have revealed the devastating toll the news has taken on those they care for.

The plea comes with the group in its death throes after South Lanarkshire Council pulled the plug on funding last week – exactly 20 years ago since the group celebrated being fully-staffed for the first time.

Showdown talks between Social Work officers and the CCCR board failed to save the group, and they will be declared insolvent on Friday, March 11, with 26 employees finding themselves out of work.

The council say the group has been mismanaged over the past five years and, despite an action plan being completed by the group, it has come too late.

Devastated users are begging someone to step in with the money that could keep them going, while staff and board members have launched a stinging attack on the council and elected representatives across Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

Interim Chairman John Edgar and manager Suzanne Donachie have slammed all 12 local councillors for failing to support them and have accused the council of paying lip service.

They say officers have refused to grant them a Service Level Agreement, which would have allowed them to apply for funding from other sources, and have ignored an action plan that would save them nearly £40,000 a year.

They also say the council reneged on an agreement to fund six redundancy packages.

However, local politicians have hit back with many saying that they had not been informed of the situation, and others, notably Provost Russell Clearie, furiously defending his position.

Mothers Kathleen Gallagher and Jackie Mount, who use the service to help them care for their young children, are now pleading with someone to put up the money before Friday.

They are worried about the effect the changes could have on their kids.

Kathleen’s nine-year-old daughter Ailis suffers from Leigh’s Disease and she said: “I will not receive the service from the council that I currently get. I have had council workers in my home and the two services are not comparable. They are in and out as fast as possible.”

Jackie, who gets three hours respite from caring for son, Jordan (10), who suffers from Hurlers Syndrome, every few weeks, is equally angry.

She said: “Jordan asked me the other day when Angela (his regular carer) was going to be back, I just didn’t know what to say to him.

“The council have not come to us, as clients, and asked what we want.”

Carers are also livid at the news. Eleanor Allan suffers from MS and not only got her job with the carers back after being diagnosed, but she has been able to befriend a fellow MS sufferer in her 80s.

She said: “The lady I care for does not want anyone else in and when I finish and there is no chance I will get another job.”

Fellow carer, Mary McErlane added: “The saddest thing was a 92-year-old I care for who told me that when her social worker left, it was the loneliest she had ever felt.”

All the care staff the Reformer spoke to said they would not work for the council out of principle, despite the authority saying they would be invited to apply for roles.

Finance administrator Fiona Simpson summed up the feelings of staff, saying: “I’m completely disgusted that the council have allowed this to happen. It is not just people who receive care that are affected, family members and staff are also involved.

“I’ve been here since I left school nine years ago, this is the only job I know.”

The carers’ chair, John Edgar, pointed the finger at the local councillors for failing to support the organisation.

He said: “They have been paying lip service to us.

“We actually had a client who phoned me on Thursday and offered us her life savings to save the organisation. We obviously had to refuse but that was a wonderful gesture.

“I don’t even think the council looked at our action plan. This is not the board’s or the staff’s fault. The blame for this lies with South Lanarkshire Council.”

The group’s manager, Suzanne Donachie, added: “We have one woman of 80 who is going from nine hours of care a week to just two with the council. People will not receive the same level of care.”

The group’s claims have been rubbished by Provost Russell Clearie, who said they failed to keep their finances in order.

He also said people would still receive the care they needed: “For four years I have been negotiating and helping, but the group was not professionally-run and that was indicated to the board.

“They did not have a business plan and they didn’t come up with an action plan until the 11th hour. That’s something we have been asking for, for the past four years.

“People have got to realise that the community carers have gone insolvent by themselves and the council will have to pick up the pieces.

“The most important thing is that the users are not disadvantaged.”

However, John Edgar believes that the new board, which has only been in place since October, deserved a chance to sort out the mess.

Glasgow Rutherglen MSP James Kelly said it was “very disappointing,” that a solution could not be found.

He added: “The organisation is well regarded in the area. They provide an excellent service.

“I am concerned that jobs are being lost as well as the impact on people that use the service.”

A spokesperson for South Lanarkshire Council said they had been left with little option but to end funding.

They said: “The council was advised by the Board of Cambuslang Community Carers Rutherglen (CCCR) that it cannot continue to operate beyond March 11, 2011. As a limited company and registered charity, CCCR have a number of obligations that they must adhere to in order to comply with the requirements of Companies House and the Office of the Charity Regulator (OSCR).

“The council is currently working to ensure that those individuals who currently receive services are reviewed and that appropriate arrangements are put in place to ensure continuity of service provision.

“CCCR has provided services for a number of years and has been supported by the council in a variety of ways over this period. Unfortunately, we are now in a situation where we need to ensure that support for service users is secured through the council.”