Lib Dems Champion Council's Home Care Service

2.39.23pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 2nd Aug 2007

Liberal Democrats in Bath are opposing plans to privatise home care (also known as domiciliary care) in Bath and North-East Somerset and have called for the decision to be reversed and the service to be kept in-house. Unions and employees, as well as many of those who rely on the service, are also opposed to the process of outsourcing home care services to a private company.

At the latest meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny panel for Healthier Communities and Older People, Lib Dem Councillor Loraine Morgan Brinkhurst (Newbridge) moved a motion calling for the tendering process to be put on hold to allow a further opportunity for the domiciliary care service to remain in house.

Cllr Brinkhurst commented:

"The Council's home care staff provide such a fantastic service, which is really valued by the people of Bath and North-East Somerset. They deserved to see a review of the decision."

"I felt confident that staff would be willing to change and modernise the service that they are providing, and that the operation could have remained in-house. I feel it speaks volumes that so many of them turned up to the meeting."

Cllr Will Sandry (Lib Dem, Oldfield), who seconded the motion, added:

"It's disappointing that the Chair of the panel, Cllr Inker (Lab), decided not to make use of his casting vote in order to break the 3:3 tie on our motion - if he had it could have gone through. What is the point of having that role and the casting vote if you are not going to use it?"

Related Links:

Committee papers from the meeting on 24.07.07

Draft minutes from the meeting on 24.07.07