Fife Labour finance spokesperson Mark Hood has hit back at SNP attacks in the growing row over the future of care for the elderly in Fife. Fife Council are advertising for anyone to come in and build replacement homes in the area where the council currently operate the homes after SNP, Liberal and Tory councillors voted to cease direct provision and close the council run homes when replacements can be found.
The councillor also dismissed the SNP claim that the voluntary and independent sectors were also being given the opportunity to take over the homes. He said; “If they were serious about the third sector running the homes through community cooperatives or a Fife Care Trust then they would have given enough time to make this happen and they haven’t, so they should admit that the only option on the table is privatisation.
He went on; “We have seen failure after failure with large private sector companies running community care provision and that is why even at this late hour we would urge the SNP to think again and get round the table with all stakeholders to discuss a better way forward. We have always said that there is some very good provision in the private sector and a mix of provision will ensure that this continues, but to put all your eggs in one basket in the current climate of failing care and failing care home provision is just plain wrong.
He concluded; “We also believe that care workers are worth more than the minimum wage and we reject the SNP view that council care workers cost too much. People should ask themselves who are they going to come after next, who will be the next set of workers to come under such attack. This is wrong and care workers are worth more than the minimum wage”
What are Labours plans for the Care Homes?
What else will have to be cut to spend the money on them. I hear it would mean that Auchmuty High School would not be replaced if the Care Homes were kept with the Council.
Have council care homes ever been closed in the past?
Labour have been saying for four and half years that we need to invest money into the homes and do so in partnership with the independent sector which will mean being able to pull in additional money. We set out in our manifesto four and a half years ago that we wanted to examine a number of options that would secure the provision in the public sector.
Last week at the full Fife Council meeting we said that the SNP had to get a grip of this situation and show leadership and that we would work with them to find a long term solution, but instead, they chose to pass the buck to council officials and asked them to come up with a plan C.
Plan A was the council would build them but through a lack of leadership this plan fell by the wayside and then came plan B which was to privatise the homes but when no private provider agreed to the terms they are now asking the officials to find plan C.
You just could not make it up.