'Bonfire of cuts' in Derbyshire blasted amid concerns they will create crisis for vulnerable

Plans for a series of Derbyshire council cutbacks have been dubbed a “bonfire of services” creating a “crisis” for vulnerable people and their families. Derbyshire County Council is set to roll out a number of cutbacks to services, including:

• Closing eight care homes
• Closing six day centres (one is within one of the planned care home closures)
• Scrapping more than £1 million in grants to voluntary groups
• Closing four day centres and four short break centres for people with learning disabilities
• Decommissioning a scheme aimed at supporting hospital discharges

Cllr Joan Dixon, leader of the opposition Labour Group said: “This a very grim day for some of our most vulnerable residents.” Referring to the care home closures, day centre closures and grant cuts, she said: “All in all, this feels like a triple whammy and the compound impact of all of these cuts will be devastating.

“It feels like the Conservative administration, because of their financial mismanagement, are having a bonfire of the services and are no longer improving lives for local people.” Conservative councillor Nigel Gourlay criticised plans to close a care home and day centre in his Chapel and Hope Valley division, leading to him being stripped of the Tory whip before having it returned.

The care home and day centre in his division have now been removed from the list of proposed closures. Cllr Gourlay said: “I am hugely relieved to hear that Eccles Fold and Whitestones have been saved from closure.

“Eccles Fold offers an essential respite for people suffering with dementia, and just as importantly, for their families. We must remember the huge burden of the disease on husbands, wives, and children. A few hours can make the difference between struggling and managing. The staff and facilities at Eccles Fold are amongst the best in the country, and I am proud that they have a bright future in Chapel-en-le-Frith.

“It has always been obvious that Whitestones is a successful care home, and that its closure or sale would have left NHS hospitals with fewer options when discharging patients. It is clear that Derbyshire County Council has taken a joined-up approach to this issue, and looked beyond their current financial difficulties.

“For that, I will be eternally grateful. In my younger days, I worked in care homes throughout the High Peak, and I know from talking to my neighbours that these places hold a strong emotional place in their hearts. I am so glad that they are safe.”

Cll Ed Fordham, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, wrote: “These cuts as put forward by the Conservatives at County Hall are little more than cruel. The harsh truth is that the pain inflicted upon residents through these service cuts are just nasty.

“After 10 years of Conservative Government the council is struggling, but that, combined with seven years of Conservative control and rule from Matlock – the county council is on its knees. The budget should be accompanied by an apology from the Tories. They have failed to invest in local government, failed to manage the councils finances and failed to protect services for the most vulnerable

“Even more damning is the selling of the family silver – property after property is being auctioned – but it speaks volumes that whilst County Hall has been discussed as being up for disposal, only now is the panic button being hit regarding Elvaston Castle. Few greater mockeries could be made by the Tories that they are closing care homes and day centres and yet the County Council owns a castle and grounds.

“Truly the situation is tragic and damaging – it’s time the Tories just went – and next May, in the elections I am increasingly confident that they will be rejected for this mismanagement and these cuts.”

Cllr Gez Kinsella, the county council’s sole Green Party councillor, said: “The closure of care homes, including the newly built Ada Belfield care home in Belper is truly shocking news. It not only defies any economic sense, but demonstrates that the Conservative administration at County Hall is cruel and uncaring in the extreme.

“Even by the council’s own justification for closure, this makes no sense – DCC argues there is an increasing need for specialist services for the growing number of older people in Derbyshire with dementia. Yet, they propose the closure/privatisation of Ada Belfield, a beacon of good practice in this area of specialism. I will continue my efforts to speak up for the most vulnerable in our Belper community and fight to keep Ada Belfield open and run by the council.

“As a county councillor for Belper, I know that the community will stand together to stop this happening.”

Dave Ratchford, regional officer for trade union Unison, said, “The council’s position of closing these services is fundamentally flawed. The spiralling costs of their overreliance on private sector provision will not go away.

“These companies need to make a profit and that’s why spending on private care homes has increased from £71 million to £113 million in the last five years. So, if Derbyshire does this, the exact same problem will re-emerge year after year after year.”

A Unison member, who works at one of the affected care homes, said: “We are so grateful for the public and service users and union standing up for the services, so we can continue to do the caring jobs we love. But, it’s beyond tragic that in the future so many excellent care homes and day centres will be in the hands of profit-driven private care providers.

“We still hope Derbyshire County Council will reverse this decision and save these vital public services”.

Mick Coppin, organiser for the trade union GMB, said: “These cuts would be nothing short of a crisis for our county. Driving them through, just months before an election, is a calculated and deliberate move by Council bosses.

“This is creating massive anxiety for workers, service users and families across Derbyshire and we urgently call of the authority to do the right thing by the people of Derbyshire”. County council papers on the care home closures detail: “In order to deliver a focus on specialist dementia care and meet the efficiencies associated with this review, the council cannot continue to directly provide the same number of residential services.

“Derbyshire County Council is currently one of the largest local authority providers of residential services for older people in the country and like other authorities, the council must ensure that it is able to support people who need it most in a sustainable way. This has become increasingly challenging in light of increasing demand for services and the significant financial pressures faced by councils up and down the country.”

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