Latest on Gloucestershire care controversy after 'disappointment'

Summary

Calls for greater scrutiny over the privatisation of public services ended in “disappointment” at a council debate. The recent outsourcing of Gloucestershire County Council‘s reablement services, which provide short-term care for people who need support after leaving hospital, sparked concerns among civic chiefs over the summer.

Details

Councillors heard concerns from workers, trade unions and residents regarding consultation, continuity of care, staff morale and the future employment conditions of frontline staff. As a result, Green Party councillors want to strengthen the democratic oversight of any future externalising of council services.

But their bid to table a motion on the issue, which was the third on the list for the meeting on September 16, was unsuccessful as a two-hour time limit ran out before they could debate it. Councillor Richard Dean (G, Dursley), who was going to put forward the proposal said “council services exist to serve residents, not markets”.

“Too often outsourcing is presented as an easy answer to financial pressures, but the reality can be a loss of accountability, greater complexity and higher costs further down the line.

“I’m disappointed that councillors did not have the opportunity to debate our motion to make sure decisions are properly scrutinised, that the voices of those impacted by decisions are heard, and that councillors have all the facts and evidence they need to make informed decisions, before services are moved out of direct council control.” The motion called for future outsourcing plans to be accompanied by a full assessment of their impact on staff, pay and conditions, workforce continuity, accountability, service quality and long-term value for money.

Councillor Craig Horrocks (G, Rodborough) said the motion was not about preventing future changes to service but about ensuring that staff, users and councillors are involved in the process early enough to meaningfully influence decisions before they are made.

“When decisions about outsourcing are taken, we need to understand not just the immediate financial implications, but the effects on staff, service quality and the people who rely on those services every day,” he said.

“We believe those questions should be asked before decisions are made, not afterwards and that residents should have confidence that all the implications have been properly considered before services are moved outside direct council control.” The motion also sought to affirm the council’s preference for delivering services directly wherever this best protects accountability, service quality, public value and fair employment conditions.

Report source: Gloucestershire Live