Community-based coordinators, who work alongside families and individuals with a range of health needs, could be axed by the Isle of Wight Council.
Launched in 2015, there are nine local area coordinators (LACs) on the Isle of Wight, and a further three were meant to be appointed this year.
However, this did not happen and Cowes, East Cowes and Whippingham, and Binstead and Wootton are not covered by the service.
How LACs support Islanders
LACs support people with disabilities, mental health needs and older people who are looking to improve their wellbeing.
LACs help people identify their strengths, gifts, skills and passions and how they might use them within their community, as well as helping them access and use a range of information and professional services.
£400,000 pa to fund
Cabinet member for adult social care and mental health champion, Cllr Clare Mosdell, said the public health budget could not continue to fund the national project which costs just under £400,000 a year.
The council also pays a yearly licence of £9,000 for the service, which has been operating on the Island since 2015.
Cllr Mosdell said:
“As such, we are dictated to by the rules of that licence, such as the salaries that are paid and the amount of residents that can be looked after. This does not allow us to adapt to change or manage the project ourselves under such constraints.”
No intention to fund indefinitely
Cllr Mosdell said there was never any intention for the public health budget, which she said was already under considerable strain, to continue to fund the project indefinitely, but for other parts of the council to take over funding.
The project was intended to become self-sustaining but this has not happened.
Criticism for Scrutiny Committee
Last week, the scrutiny committee for adult social care recommended LACs were retained. The final decision rests with the council’s cabinet.
However, Cllr Mosdell said this decision was made without evidence. Speaking to the scrutiny committee, she said:
“You have no evidence, you have no financials in front of you.
“You will sit there and vote to keep a service when you have no background, no evaluation, no proof of what the service is providing.
“What I am doing is writing a thorough, detailed report with which we can sit and evaluate the evidence.
“But you’re going to sit here and vote whether that will stand with no evidence?”
Pushed onto town and parish councils
The cabinet will be discussing with town and parish councils the possibility of them taking on direct responsibility for the LAC project in their area.
The decision has already been tentatively discussed with the voluntary sector, but no one is able to pay the salaries dictated by the licence.
Cllr Mosdell said:
“We do have some excellent results as well from the Living Well Scheme, anyone can refer directly to, which has now been running for a year and has so far supported 1,574 people.
“The Living Well scheme covers the whole of the Island and not just the areas that the nine LACs cover as we would need an additional three LACs to give whole Island coverage.”
The full report will go before the cabinet on 8th November 2018.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some additions by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: © With kind permission of Allan Marsh
