We welcome Letters to the Editor and Open Letters to share with our readers. This came in from care-worker John Luckett. Those following the live coverage of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting will remember that Mr Luckett asked Cllr Pugh and the other councillors to spend one day shadowing care-workers to understand the value of their work. Ed
Dear Mr Pugh
Re: Proposed IW Council Budget 2012-13 – Implications for Health & Social Care
I am writing to you as leader of the Conservative ruling group on the IOW as it appears that you are the people who have the powers to make things happen when working together.
I am a non-politically aligned individual who has major concerns for the proposed level of financial resources to provide vulnerable people in all walks of life on the Island with the care they need, my own area of specialist interest and expertise being Dementia care.
16 years care experience
As a Degree-qualified health professional with 16 years experience in the Care sector, of which 5 years at a management and supervisory level, I have witnessed and experienced personally the negative impact of the cuts made in this financial year.
Therefore, I wish to voice my concern about further reductions in necessary funding and cutting further care that people both deserve and desperately need. I feel I need to speak on behalf of both service-users and staff/management/proprietors working in both the public and private sectors.
Two aspects particularly concern me: –
- PFI
- The “Underspend”
Ring-fencing of highways budget
I do not believe that the majority of people on the Island understand that if IWC enter into a PFI for our roads that this money is “ring-fenced” and has priority over essential services like Health; Social Welfare; Education.
If we are to call ourselves a civilised society and a developed nation surely vulnerable people’s well-being and our children’s education has priority over holes in the road! Also despite repeated questions over a period of time (both written and verbal) from members of the public you and Cllr Giles and have continually failed to produce accurate figures to prove the worth of this scheme, and are taking a huge gamble with the Island taxpayers money without appearing to acknowledge the consequences if it fails, which I do not care to contemplate.
Underspend celebration perverse
To cut services further when there is such a desperate need and celebrate an “underspend” to an average person like me seems to be somewhat perverse in its logic.
However open-minded I try to be I find it hard to believe the “underspend” has been the result of good financial management. Please can I have your assurances and personal commitment that at least some of these reserves may be used for constructive uses for the Island community at a time that it is most needed – like now?
£10,000,000 in reserves
The ruling group of the IWC appear to celebrate the “underspend” and have approximately £10,000,000 in reserves according to figures stated at Scrutiny meeting on 8th December 2011, at which I was present.
I am sure you would agree it would be both totally inappropriate and insulting to the intelligence of Island taxpayers for IWC to use these funds for Islanders at a more politically expedient time i.e. close to next Council elections in Spring 2013.
Support mixed economy of welfare
I am not unreasonable and recognise it is tough times and that cuts need to be made and services in both public and private sector need to adapt and work within these conditions.
Indeed I am a fervent supporter of a mixed economy of welfare, with private and public sector working together in partnership. However, any reductions in services that you make will hurt most the vulnerable members of our community and the low paid workers who provide these essential services.
An Invitation or A Challenge
You may call this what you like – An Invitation or A Challenge….
I would particularly like to invite all the members of the majority ruling group on this Council to an experience that I hope will educate and inform you of the implications of any further cuts you propose to make.
After you have experienced this I would like you to look into your heart and conscience and vote accordingly when the time comes.
Become a care-worker for a day
The proposition is that each of you do a shift at any of the Residential or Nursing Homes or work in the Community on the Island and “shadow” a care worker and that you feedback publicly afterwards.
The Island public I am sure would be extremely interested in your views and for you to share your experiences.
A long day ahead
Warning! This will mean an early start and a late finish for you as many carers work long-days to make ends meet and work with their employers to cover staffing shortages as they are forced to cut their labour costs.
To be fair this Invitation/Challenge is also open to all other IWC members too, but I feel the ruling group are in greater need of this experience!
Recommend dementia care
I would particularly recommend that you experience Dementia Care as this is going to be a rapidly expanding client group over the coming years and is going to demand increased resources.
In 2009 there were 2,478 known people suffering from dementia over the age of 65 on the Island and this equates to 7% of the IOW population over 65.
As the elderly population grows it is projected that by 2030 we will have 4469 people known to be suffering from dementia (Source POPPI).
Look forward to hearing from you
I await your responses with great interest and would be pleased to direct you to the organisations who would give you the most valid experiences. I hope to attend the Cabinet Meeting this week and maybe I will hear from you then.
For your information I am circulating this letter to local media and appropriate campaign groups.
Yours sincerely
John Luckett
What happened next follows on VB shortly. Ed
Image: Lazlozian under CC BY-ND 2.0
