Social care cuts confirmed in Aberdeenshire as learning disability day services axed

A number of social care cuts are to be rolled out across Aberdeenshire despite fears going ahead with them would be seen as “taking a leap of faith”.

The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) announced drastic plans to save around £20m back in February.

Members of the integration joint board met earlier today to discuss the proposals.

It was the first meeting for new interim chief officer Leigh Jolly, who took on the role from Pam Milliken.

The controversial cuts even prompted protesters to stand their ground outside Aberdeenshire Council’s Woodhill House headquarters.

The in-house home care and Aberdeenshire Responders Care at Home Service (ARCH) will be redesigned and combined to save £6.9m over the next year.

Care at home services will be altered to deliver short-term “intensive reablement support” to get residents back on their feet and live independently after illness.

Planned care delivered by ARCH will be stopped but unplanned care will continue, with a priority on end of life care, community alarm response and uninjured fallers.

The responder service and care service will be run together going forward to allow carers to have more flexibility and to streamline support.

For example, it is expected that all carers will be trained to use equipment needed to help support people who have fallen.

ARCH will also no longer respond to internal and registered social landlord sheltered housing complexes through their own call systems.

However there were fears this could lead to a lack of alternative commissioned service provision.

And, it could result in people staying longer in hospital as more time could be needed to find a private care provider instead.

Those without a care package or community alarms will no longer be able to use ARCH and any vacant job posts will not be filled to save cash.

Councillor Ross Cassie wasn’t convinced the proposal was ready and asked for more information on the financial risks.

He said: “I think there is consensus in the room that there needs to be a change in the direction we are going.

“However, I do see some issues predominantly around the risk that agreeing with this will mean wandering around in the dark or taking a leap of faith.

“This is perhaps a risk too far when we are dealing with people’s lives.

“I have no issues with the strategic direction of what needs to happen, but it is what that actually looks like.”

But, finance boss Mary Beattie expressed that the partnership “didn’t have the luxury of time” and had “significant savings to make” so the changes needed to be made now.

“We need to progress and start making way with some of these savings, or we won’t make the savings in this financial year,” she added.

Weekly day care activity sessions for older people across three very sheltered housing facilities will be slashed from ten to five.

This affects Doocot View in Banff, Abbey Court in Mintlaw and Jarvis Court in Fraserburgh.

The sessions are held across the three sites, offering support for 38 people for around six hours per day.

Activities provide physical, mental and social stimulation for users, along with much needed respite for unpaid carers.

While all existing service users will continue to attend, it would result in some having to cut their days or ultimately move to another day or time.

The health and social care partnership has said it will work closely with those affected to find alternative support and reduce any impact on users.

The cut would save the partnership £149,155 and officers claim this would ensure the service can still be delivered within budget going forward.

Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership manager, Janine Howie stressed that no changes will be made until alternative care is secured for those affected.

Meanwhile, eight learning disability day services across the region will be ceased.

BEAT Macduff, Can-Do Recycling and Shop in Fraserburgh, Woodwork Project at Aden Country Park, Buchan Day Opportunities at Crimond, and Connecting the Broch will close.

Can-Do and Benchmark in Ellon, and the Buzzard Cafe in Inverurie will also shut.

The Robertson Road Centre in Fraserburgh will act as the main north hub with Inverurie Day Centre staying open as the main central hub.

Banff Day Services, Buchan Day Opportunities (Suites H and E), Ellon Resource Centre and Pitscurry, Pitcaple will act as “satellite” bases.

But the chief officer revealed that these closures will not happen overnight as initially feared.

She explained that most of the buildings used to host the projects have a “number of months notice” on them.

Ms Jolly added: “We’re not closing anything tomorrow in terms of what’s on this list.

“We have some time on our hands and we need to use that properly to engage and to work with people, not do to people, and support this next stage.”

Partnership staff will now reach out to affected families and work out a suitable solution for their loved ones, ensuring no-one will be left without alternative care.

Assisted social care transport across the region will be stopped to save £800,000.

The partnership currently pays out £1.2m per year for mileage, taxis and minibuses to help residents get to their activities.

Prior to today’s meeting, a survey was held to get people’s thoughts on the proposed change which attracted feedback from 205 people.

Rural service users were concerned they wouldn’t manage to access their beloved projects.

Families were worried it would bring extra pressures, with some saying they would have to give up their jobs to take their loved ones to services if there was no provision.

Fears were also raised that users would have to give up their places at day services which could lead to social isolation and poor health and wellbeing.

Freedom of information requests to other partnerships revealed that some don’t have a transport policy, while others are reviewing or considering a policy.

Social care transport is not provided in the Highlands, but service users are supported to ensure they can access services.

Board members were ensured that nothing would change until suitable alternatives were in place.

Fiona Robertson, who spoke on behalf of the Disabled People Against Cuts group, argued that the assisted social care transport is “not just a mini-bus, but a lifeline” for those most vulnerable.

And she said that axing it would add to their monthly expenses when their purses are already stretched by rising energy bills and the cost-of-living crisis.

Partnership manager for North Aberdeenshire, Jeff Shaw, fought back saying the board is not required to provide such transport by law, and there are many other local authorities that don’t have it either.

He added: “I don’t think we’ve tried to hide the fact that this will have an impact.

“However, our key role is not a transport provider and other people are so we want to work with them to make sure we get the best possible transport solutions.

“Looking to the future, there is another set of conversations about how people move using all sorts of transport – both public and provided.”

But there was one service that came out of the six-hour meeting unscathed.

All care homes and very sheltered housing across the region will stay open for the next year.

The local authority has seven “in house” care homes found in Aboyne, Ellon, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Peterhead, Portsoy and Stonehaven.

Meanwhile, its six very sheltered housing facilities are in Banchory, Banff, Fraserburgh, Inverurie, Mintlaw and Turriff.

Bosses argued it would cost too much to close the sites as they would have to pay out huge sums to cover staff redundancy – at worst it could be up to £964,000.

In a further blow, any savings wouldn’t be seen for at least another two years.

However, a report on the future strategic model for care homes and very sheltered housing for the next ten years will come back to the board in six months.

This is expected to address staff requirements, create an “efficient” model and ensure that the homes are “sustainable and fit-for-purpose”.

Board members will discuss the future of care home and very sheltered housing provision when they meet again in July.