Public meeting - Craigroyston Community Centre, Pennywell Road, Muirhouse, North Edinburgh
FIGHT AGAINST CUTS IN CARE AT HOME SERVICES: WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT UNISON- CITY OF EDINBURGH BRANCH SOCIAL CARE CAMPAIGN
Edinburgh Council intends to privatise 75% of the care at home services within the next six years. At present the split between Council home care and private agencies is 50/50.
This proposal means another 25% going to the private sector.
They say this will save money.
Experience shows that agencies promise to deliver the service cheaper but when they have the contracts, they demand more money. The Councils often end up paying much more.
Meanwhile,Agency staff are paid appalling wages; are sometimes untrained and unvetted.There is a high turnover of staff. Everyone suffers!
As if the above wasn't bad enough, this proposal follows a package of cuts implemented at the end of last year which included;
- Care at home to be restricted to those who meet critical criteria and for hospital discharge. Once seen as not critical, the service is withdrawn.
- Only 1 hot meal a day
- a frozen meal
- 30 mins
- The use of short 30 min and 15 min visits to be maximised. Less time for care.
- Shopping service withdrawn
- A new care home built by the Council is now run by a private company Four Seasons
- Two new care homes have also been contracted to Four Seasons
- Rushed service
- Since these cuts have been implemented, staff are under even more pressure to provide a service which is rushed, leaving service-users with less choice and a service that barely maintains abasic level of care.
- The workforce is frustrated and demoralised as their professionalism is being continually compromised
UNISON believes we need to campaign for a quality service for our most vulnearable citizens. We know that once these cuts and the increasing privatisation is made, we won't get the service back. We need your support.
Printed and Published by UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch, 23 George IV Bridge Edinburgh. Tel 0131 220 5655, Fax 0131 225 9125 More details at www.unison-edinburgh.org.uk
