Edinburgh Council leaders have been defeated by opposition
councillors over moves to delay direct payment applications while
the council re-tenders for care and support services.
Backed by campaigners, the Labour and Green parties yesterday
forced through a motion to put the award of new contracts on hold
while a backlog of direct payment applications, frozen by officials
earlier this year, are processed.
The motion was passed by just one vote against the controlling
Liberal Democrat and Scottish National Party coalition after the
Conservatives also backed it.
Campaigners, including representatives of providers set to lose
contracts, claim the council suspended applications to ensure the
viability of the new contracts, as many clients would use direct
payments to stay with their current providers.
The tenders affect 770 domiciliary care and housing support
service users.
The Learning Disability Alliance Scotland (LDAS), whose members
include four providers set to lose contracts and one of the
successful providers, welcomed the vote.
Co-ordinator Ian Hood said: "Now, finally after 18 months,
councillors have listened to the most vulnerable people in our
society. There is still a lot to sort out but this is good news
today."
However, there are concerns that the new contracts may fall
through, prompting the successful providers to take legal action
against the council.
The tenders expire on 5 December, giving the council little time
to process the remaining 209 applications, as officials currently
process 11 a month.
The council has brought in additional staff to clear the
backlog. However, it could face a fresh influx of applications as a
result of yesterday's motion. This mandated councils to contact
existing users, telling them of their right to apply for a direct
payment.
However, LDAS said the tender deadline could be extended by 60
days.
Hood claimed care providers would be reluctant to receive the
bad publicity generated by any legal action that might suggest they
were putting commercial interests before vulnerable people's
lives.
Councillors also resolved as part of the motion to meet with
service users' groups to try to resolve their concerns and report
on their discussions to a specially convened session of the
council's finance and resources committee on 3 December.
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