Families celebrate council’s U-turn on adult care services

FAMILIES are celebrating news of the council’s U-turn over controversial changes to adult care.

Campaigners launched a legal challenge because they believed the consultation over the future of the Supported Living scheme, which they feared could have seen some disabled adults moved from small shared homes to larger care homes, was flawed.

But, as the Observer reported last week, the council have now decided to ditch the proposals, which could have cut £1m from the budget, from its savings programme.

The father of a woman with learning disabilities who brought the claim said: “I am sure that everyone involved in providing care for people with learning difficulties in Rochdale will be much relieved by this outcome.

“The council has thankfully made a very welcome decision not to press ahead with these proposals and on behalf of all its service users who rely on these vital services, we thank them.”

Mathier Culverhouse, a public law expert at Irwin Mitchell who took up the fight, said: “This is a victory for all those who would have been unfairly affected by the changes that Rochdale council was proposing. The families of those affected are happy that the council has withdrawn its proposals and has confirmed that before proceeding with any such proposals in future it will engage with those affected and ensure that they are given a full and fair picture of what the proposals will mean for them in practice.”