Council presses ahead with plans to privatise Fife’s care homes

Fife Council is pressing ahead with controversial plans to privatise its care home provision by formally seeking interest from the private or not- for-profit sector.

New care home providers for residents of the 10 council-run care homes could be decided upon by the end of the year, The Courier has learned, although the authority has stressed the process of replacing care home services could take several years to complete.

It is also understood that the council is keen on having new care home placements available within a three-year period from the date contracts are awarded, which is likely to be in January, according to current timescales.

The latest development comes after the social work and health decision rubber-stamped plans to replace residential, respite and day care services provided in the local authority’s 10 care homes with new care homes that would be built and operated by the private or not-for-profit sector.

Almost 300 places are provided by the council at Ladywalk House in Anstruther, Valley House in Cowdenbeath, Northeden House in Cupar, Matthew Fyfe in Dunfermline, Alan McLure House and South Parks House in Glenrothes, Appin House and Raith Gates in Kirkcaldy, Jenny Gray House in Lochgelly and Methilhaven Home in Methil.

The council highlighted the changes that will need to take place will “not happen immediately,” although it acknowledges some homes will be replaced earlier than others depending on where and when the new homes will be built.

It also stresses that its priority is to ensure quality care and modern services for residents and service users now and in the future, while all future care home providers will need to fully meet current and future national care standards.

A newsletter has been sent to service users and their families telling them of developments by Rona Laing, head of older people’s services and chairwoman of the Care Home Replacement Programme Board.

In it, she confirms the evaluation and selection process will begin in October and added that she and members of the project team plan to visit each care home next month to explain the process and answer any questions people may have.

Residents’ welfare

“The welfare of all residents and service users is paramount as well as our commitment to ensure that the high quality of care that you are receiving is maintained,” she wrote.

“However, we are aware that there will be worries about moving to a new care home. We will be setting up a group inviting residents, service users, families and staff to work together to develop guidance for moving to the new care home.

“We will also consider research which is available to enable us to produce the best practice guidance to ensure that the needs of each resident are a priority in planning their move to the new care home.

“As previously agreed, residents, service users and families will have the opportunity to be involved in this process. We wish to set up an advisory group and give everyone who would like to be involved in the process the opportunity to contribute.”

According to the advert for new service providers, there “may” be implications associated with the council’s present care home facilities throughout Fife.

This means staff may or may not transfer over to new arrangements, depending on which providers are selected.

In light of developments, opposition leader Alex Rowley slammed the move as “short-sighted and plain wrong.”

Mr Rowley added, “The privatisation of council runs homes is being pushed through by SNP councillors, who believe council workers in the homes get ‘paid too much’ and it can be done cheaper by the private sector.

“To treat loyal care workers in this way and devalue them to being worth the minimum wage is in itself deplorable — but not to have learnt the lessons of the last few months when it comes to private sector provision is just beyond belief.”

Mr Rowley also repeated his belief that the demise of Southern Cross should have acted as a timely lesson to the local authority.

“We need a mixed provision of care in Fife to ensure we are able to set benchmark standards and to protect the provision from unscrupulous failing profiteers the likes of which we have seen in recent months with the collapse of one national provider,” he added.

“The SNP in Fife seem to know the cost of everything and the value of nothing,” he claimed. “And this latest move demonstrates an arrogance that ignores public opinion, families and residents of council-run care homes.”