Firm brands town hall’s adult care changes ‘disaster’
ACARE firm has blasted Cheshire East Council’s handling of changes to adult social care as a ‘disaster’.
Extra Mile is one of dozens of companies that have been providing services in the region but have not been selected as a ‘prime provider’ from next month.
Director Michelle Parry says this has forced her firm to end care for some council clients as it seeks to find alternative ones to make up the revenue that will be lost.
One is Dianne Boulton, 55, who has high level needs due to multiple sclerosis, and is currently in a care home because the council has yet to find a new carer, as reported in last week’s Express.
Ms Parry strongly refutes council claims that the company gave ‘very short notice’ for this, saying the required week was given.
And the council then failed in its bid to find an alternative for Dianne - a situation that could become common under the ‘badly handled’ changes.
Ms Parry said: “The most important person in this is Dianne. We are a very caring company and this has really upset her.
“What has happened to her is awful, we are speak- ing to her family to offer health and advice.
“We never wanted to end our relationship with Diane and her family, but we had been forced to act as a result of the changes that the council are implementing.
“We are only a few weeks from November 9 and it is heading for disaster, it is very worrying. The changes have not been handled at all well by the council.”
Extra Mile is one of nearly 100 firms providing care for Cheshire East, it is believed once the changes take effect there will be 23.
Ms Parry explained how her firm was told its tender to be a prime provider for council funded clients was unsuccessful on August 20. And on September 14 that the change over day would be November 9 [when the new system comes into operation]. At the time council funded packages made up 48 per cent of its total business.
Ms Parry said: “We couldn’t possibly continue to trade and continue to employ up to 30 local people without replacing this lost revenue with more private healthcare packages
“We then started the long process of slowly handing back packages and replacing them with private clients.
“We have tried to help the council by handing back care packages at a rate of less than 2 per week to enable them the opportunity to source alternative arrangements.”
Dianne, who normally lives with husband James in Broken Cross, remains in Weston Park Care Home. She says the council changes have ‘forced’ her there.
A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said: “The seven-day notice period is in place in the contract but would only be expected to apply in exceptional circumstances, for example, where a provider can no longer service the contract due to unforeseen events.
“It is still a very limited amount of time for the council to source alternative provision and, in these circumstances, and with the individual’s consent, a short-term placement was found until alternative provision could be sourced.
“The council has a full mobilisation plan to ensure the change over of contracts takes place with minimal disruption to the service user.”