Mass opposition to raft of planned Derbyshire council cutbacks

Mass opposition has been directed at numerous plans for cutbacks, including care home closures, from a Derbyshire council, with identical responses used to justify the planned moves. A Derbyshire County Council meeting next week will discuss the feedback to four different public consultations on planned cutbacks.

This includes:

1. Plans to close up to 11 care homes and eight older people’s day centres
2. Plans to close four day centres and four short-break centres for people with learning disabilities and on the autistic spectrum
3. Plans to decommission a scheme aimed at supporting timely hospital discharges and reducing readmissions
4. Plans to scrap grant funding totalling more than £1 million for dozens of charities and organisations

Despite thousands of objecting responses in some cases, primarily to the planned closures of up to 11 care homes, with majority opposition to each plan, the council looks set to proceed with each scheme. In response to the plans, the council has issued in some cases identical statements aimed at justifying the moves, citing financial difficulties and an “understanding” and “consideration” of concerns about the impact of cuts.

Ratification of these steps will be carried out by the leading Conservative cabinet, followed by full council. Consultation on plans to close either nine or 11 care homes and eight older people’s day centres saw 1,742 responses, with most objecting, along with seven opposing petitions filed to the council, ranging from 22 signatures to 5,485 signatures.

In response, the council said: “We recognise that many people disagreed with the proposals. We are committed to working closely with people and their family/carers to explore all options available to have their needs and outcomes met.”

It says, in a repeat from previous statements and in repetition of responses to other consultation objections: “In putting the recommendations to cabinet, we needed to take into account of the fact that, like every council up and down the country, Derbyshire is facing significant financial challenges that are outside its control. These include inflationary pressures, staff pay awards agreed nationally but paid locally and continuing increasing demand on our services, particularly in adult care and children’s services.

“Demand for adult social care support has also risen dramatically with the cost of providing care and support accounting for 48 per cent of the council’s overall spending. This means in order to set a balanced budget in 2024/25 as it is legally obliged to do, the council needed to review how people’s assessed needs are met under the Care Act 2014 and to what extent the council provides a direct care service as a means of fulfilling those needs.”

The council says: “We have taken this feedback into account when making the recommendations and planning the future for directly provided services going forward. Comments included concerns regarding hospital discharges being impacted. We have demonstrated in the report that we are committed to working with health partners to facilitate community support beds for Derbyshire residents.

“We also continue to work with health to facilitate hospital discharges for people returning home and into placements where appropriate. We have considered the impact across adult social care and feedback from partner organisations when putting the recommendations together.”

The council says: “We recognise that any move to an alternative home or change of service will cause disruption and concern for residents, people attending and their families, as demonstrated by the number of responses to the consultation on this theme. Our commitment is to work together with people and their families to minimise the impact of any change, as much as we possibly can.

“We will take account of the financial, emotional and practical impact identified in feedback, through careful and detailed planning with people and their families. We recognise the importance of ensuring that families and friends can continue to maintain contact and that friendship groups remain connected.”

Plans to close four day centres and four short-break centres for people with learning disabilities and on the autistic spectrum saw 324 responses, with majority opposition to all suggested closure options. Option one saw just 13.5 per cent of people agreed with closures of all four day centres and 21.5 per cent agreed with four short-break centre closures.

Meanwhile, option two saw 41 per cent agree with the closure of two day centres and 35.5 per cent with three short break centre closures.

The council said in response: “We recognise the strength of disagreement to the proposals from the respondents. We are committed to working closely with people and their family/carers to explore all options available to have their needs and outcomes met.

“We are committed to supporting carers and preventing breakdown of informal support arrangements. Included in our statutory duties is the requirement to work with and support carers through carers assessments. The rationale is clear in the April cabinet paper in terms of the council’s requirement to make financial efficiencies and to use its limited resources to meet current and future demand.”

Review and redesign of the Derbyshire Healthy Home Project, assisting with hospital discharges, to either bring in an eligibility criteria to focus on people with low incomes or adult social care needs, to hand over work to district councils, or decommission the service and hand it to another company, saw 126 responses, with the council detailing: “Many respondents to the questionnaire highlighted that they “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” with the proposals.”

The council repeated its claim that it was committed to working with people to ensure needs and outcomes were met. It said: “We acknowledge people’s concerns and will take these into consideration in our response to the consultation.

“We will also continue to work with health to facilitate hospital discharges for people returning home and into placements where appropriate.” In response to the axing of more than £1 million in grant funding for charities and organisations, the council saw 1,374 responses, with “a small number of respondents recognised the financial difficulties the council is currently facing and agree Derbyshire’s most vulnerable residents should be prioritised”.

The council said in response: “The council has a wide range of services through commissioned and directly provided approaches which actively promote well-being and independence. We are committed to working with the voluntary and community sector and will continue to engage with and commission services to best meet the needs of Derbyshire residents.

“We recognise the difficulties both the public and voluntary sectors face under the current financial climate, and this has been reflected in the consultation report.”

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