Bury Council is currently reviewing a great deal of its adult care services with, we suspect, some very significant changes to come.

The review, called ‘Future Service Options’ is reviewing the delivery of some adult social care services in the future in the light of reducing budgets. There will be a report to the Council’s Cabinet in October, but before then staff and ‘customers’ are being consulted with.

The services which are being considered are those which support people with a learning disability and/or physical disability and older people. They deliver supported living, residential care, floating support, day care and short stay. The teams are:
– Grundy, Pinfold Lane, Spurr House, Elmhurst
– Woodbury, Positive Lives, LDST, Shared Lives
– LD Day Services, ReStart

Options which are being considered (This is information from the Council)

Closure of some services
If services remain in-house and are delivered on less budget some services would have to stop. Money would then be spent on a smaller number of ‘priority’ services.

Outsource – Private Sector / Voluntary Sector
This involves the move of elements of council business to one or more external providers.

Alternative Service Delivery Models
The Council mentions two ‘alternative models’
Local Authority Trading Company (LATC)
Set up a company separate from the Local Authority – e.g. Staff Mutuals (Co-ops) or Social Enterprise

I am very keen that people who use these services or who are carers and family of people who use these services are listened to in this consultation process so please do not hesitate to get in touch – tim@burylibdems.net – at any time. My Lib Dem colleague Cllr Tim Pickstone has asked for a meeting with the Executive Director and is happy to raise any concerns local residents might have.

There is much more information available on this issue in this “Briefing for Customers” from the Council

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