Save Nelson Court Update

We were disappointed by the poor response from the Tory administration at the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Meeting last week on the Nelson Court care home.

Local businessman and blogger Jonathan Primett also attended the meeting and has blogged here about his experience. It is worth a read

This meeting was called by Labour as an opportunity to present alternative proposals, which would avoid the privatisation of three Medway care homes.

Cllr Vince Maple (pictured) spoke from the floor citing the poor consultation by the current administration

Cllr Tristan Osborne and Cllr Christine Godwin also addressed the meeting calling for alternate proposals to be considered. Alternatives included ideas such as the Co-operative or Local Authority Trading Company models, as showcased in other local authorities of all political affiliations.

However, at the meeting, the Conservatives remained closed to new ideas, and seemed resolute on limiting outside input, stymieing the chance to make the meeting a meaningful part of the decision process.

The chair, supported by his fellow Conservative members, insisted on the use of formal votes, and refused to allow any members of the public to speak. Interested councillors were also disallowed from speaking at the meeting.

Taking this closed approach was completely unacceptable, as the point of the meeting was to promote further discussion and help present new ideas.

Though the meeting was called by Labour to help offer a further opportunity for concerned service users, carers, families and staff to express their opinions, it seemed clear from the outset that these opinions would not be fairly listened to.

Cllr Teresa Murray, Medway Labour’s Spokesperson for Adult Health and Social Care said,

“The Tories showed how politically motivated and small minded they are by refusing to support our proposal for a pause in the tendering procedure to privatise the care homes and investigate alternative arms length staff-led models. This would enable the people who run the services to identify the key priorities and efficiencies, and keep the much loved specialist staff in place to maintain quality.”

“Even Tory led Essex County Council has done this successfully for it’s social care services, but Medway Tories are political dinosaurs who only want to contract out. They don’t want hard working social care staff in Medway to have a chance, although when we met staff they were keen to try.”