Uncertainty as Care Alliance future temporarily on hold
A DECISION to wind down the North West Sutherland Care Alliance has been temporarily put on hold as delicate negotiations continue with Highland Council over the future provision of home care and respite care in the organisation’s area.
Managers of the Care Alliance, an independent non-profit making service which provides care for the elderly as well as vulnerable adults and children, had fully intended to take a decision to close shop at a crisis meeting in Durness on Friday.
The organisation says it cannot financially continue because its contract with Highland Council, which provides 60 per cent of its £120,000 income, is being downsized in April. The authority is chopping 58 per cent of the Alliance’s funding, equating to a £40,000 loss in the 2012 financial year and £20,000 the following financial year.
A suggestion that the Care Alliance’s finances could be shored up if it expanded to take over the area’s Care at Home Service, presently provided in-house by the council, is under consideration.
However, Care Alliance managers point out that it is currently costing the council £43 an hour to provide the Care at Home Service but they would be expected to undertake it for much less.
Care Alliance coordinator Sylvia Mackay said managers had decided at last Friday’s meeting to give the council a fortnight’s grace.
"We were told by social work officials before the meeting that they needed to look at the situation again and gather some more information. So, instead of taking the decision to close down, we thought we would give them another chance to see if something could be worked out.
"We definitely need to make a final decision by the end of the fortnight because our contract with Highland Council ends in April and our staff need to be given redundancy notices."
She continued: "We’ve already told the council that, looking at the Care at Home figures, it would be impossible for us to do it cheaper than them. That’s because of the contracts enjoyed by staff employed by the council.
"But, even if they do come up with the money, it will all be swallowed up by home care. We feel the main issue is that they are cutting the respite service without any sort of needs assessment.
"If the fresh negotiations don’t work, then we really will not have any option but to wind up because we do not have enough money to keep going."
