Monday 4 October 2010

Future Shape of Barnet Council - Is this it?

There is a story in the Hendon Times today which I simply must share with you. As you are probably aware,  BARNET COUNCILseeks to get rid of all its in house care functions and contract them out to private companies. How do these companies operate? Please read this as I think it gives you a pretty good idea. I've got a few potted highlights below.

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8430824.Care_company_calls_for_more_caregivers_to_tackle_winter_shortfall/

What alarms me are the following statements in the article - although you may well take a different view and think it sounds marvellous :-
"We are looking for experienced carers, but that doesn't mean people have to have been employed, they could have cared for a family member or their own children."
Home Instead offers personal care services to people with dementia and Alzheimer's, home help services and companionship services
The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, although caregivers will start on a zero hours contract and be paid for the time they provide to clients
Bosses at Home Instead Senior Care, based in High Road, North Finchley, are hoping to attract up to 50 new staff members as demand for their services increases heading into winter.
So there you go. Make up your own mind. Would I feel comfortable if this concerned my Mum, Dad, Grandmother or Grandfather who is suffering from Alzhiemers or Dementia? 

Oh and if you see the care of loved ones as a fantastic business opportunity, then this page on the company website will be of much interest to you on the company website -

http://www.homeinstead.co.uk/Business_Opportunities.do

Whatever you think of these arrangements, good or bad, you can be sure that as far as the Conservative administration in Barnet are concerned, this is a good example of the

 FUTURE SHAPE OF CARE IN BARNET 

3 comments:

Citizen Barnet said...

Hello, Roger, looks like the Times series has taken this story down from their website.

Hopefully they thought again about it and what message it was sending out.

I had left a comment on it that, as you said, it read like a recruitment advert, and pointed them to your blogpost.

baarnett said...

So we are reduced to having a Care-R-Us franchise operation. Rather like many McDonalds 'restaurants'.

Mrs Angry said...

I have to admit to avoiding reading this as this subject upsets me so much. My blog 'Growing Old in Broken Barnet earlier in the Year had I think the highest number of bits I've had - people are so worried about the standard of care that they or elederly relatives will receive. In a borough like Barnet you need to be worried. The privitisation of care ought to be of huge concern to everyone: when there is a choice between profit and standards of care, who do you think is going to win? the standard of quality of staff used to care for the elderly ought to be absolutely the most important consideration: it isn't, I can tell you from personal experience. I'm going to update my previous blog soon with the latest developments.