Response to the ‘Day Time Activities for Older People’ Consultation
Dear Consultation Team,
I wish to respond with much concern to the ‘Day Time Activities for Older People’ consultation.
I have been contacted by many concerned constituents from Newtown, Llanidloes and from across Montgomeryshire regarding the future of day centres. It is evident from the concerns raised the services offered and supplied at the day centres are vital to those which use the service and their families on many levels.
Many constituents have raised the concern that day centres provide the only source of social interaction to many of the users. Research shows that loneliness and the lack of social interaction are harmful to health. Day centres also provide other fundamental services such as the opportunity to access safe bathing and a cooked meal. Access to such services are vitally important to ensure the wellbeing of our most vulnerable members in our community.
I have visited all of the day centres across Montgomeryshire (PCC run and non-PCC run centres) and at each visit I have witnessed the much valued services offered within the existing provision. Such activities including singing, exercises and also a range of specific health services such as the flu vaccine. I believe the day centres currently provide services which meet the criteria which are embedded in the Social Services and Wellbeing Act (Wales) Act 2014 that appears to form much of the basis of this consultation.
I note the Act states ‘Promoting people’s well-being must include a focus on delaying and preventing the need for care and support to stop people’s needs from escalating’. It is my view that the day centres in Montgomeryshire provide a service that allows its users to continue living independently and therefore the present provision can help to ‘prevent’ the need for care home or further support. I am further aware that the ‘spirit’ of the Act is to improve services for vulnerable people and the Act should not be used in any way that would be detrimental to the current level of service which the user is receiving.
The day centres also enables the families that provide dedicated care to the users to receive respite; which is necessary to ensure the continued well-being and health of the carers. I note that the proposed revised provision does not include any opportunity for respite which will be of great detriment to both the families and the users.
I do have great concerns to the administration of this consultation. Primarily, the age group that this consultation is aimed is not attributed to being computer literate; therefore, the accessibility and openness of this consultation has been compromised with such a great focus on online participation.
I am further disappointed the survey appears to focus only on users and their families, without the opportunity for the wider community to participate. It is my view, that the survey will not provide a true reflection of the public view. For example, I may not use the service today however, I would like the opportunity to participate in a survey that may affect me or my family in future years.
I am concerned that the consultation document lacks details relating to the proposed revised provision. It is impossible for those reading the document to understand how the proposed ‘improved future service model’ will operate and how it will affect them as a user, a family member of their local area.
It is my view that there is a very low level of confidence and trust from the general public with regards to how the County Council supports services when it comes to adult social care, the elderly and the vulnerable. Much of this stems from how the local authority dealt with the tendering process with regards to domiciliary care in 2015. The process was handled extremely poorly and lives were put at risk.
If the view of senior management and cabinet colleagues is that the alternative options for day time activities as detailed in the consultation will result in an improved services, then I would suggest that these options are implemented prior to any decision on the future of our day centres. Welsh Government offers ‘Invest to safe’ money to change models of service; I hope that the Authority has adequately examined this funding opinion.
I am aware the proposed alternative arrangements for some of the services would require the use of volunteers. Although, I highly respect the excellent work volunteers can achieve and provide; I am concerned a day care centre provision cannot be sustained and provided when relying on a volunteer structure and may provide an intermittent service rather than a stable, cohesive service which is vital to our most vulnerable member of the community. When attending a public meeting on this consultation on 25th October in Newtown a number of professionals working in the volunteering sector pointed out that there are insufficient volunteers available to support current structures in the area.
I firmly believe that no current day centre should be closed until the local health board has carried out a full impact assessment on what the consequences will be on other health services in Powys, including the extra demand that would be then likely to be placed on GP practice’s, which would then impact on all age groups.
I urge you and your colleagues on Powys County Council’s Cabinet to carefully consider the views of the many residents who I am aware will have responded to this consultation before making any reductions in a service provision which may have such huge detrimental effects on the health and wellbeing of so many members of our community and their families.
Yours sincerely
Russell