Widow’s Pension Cuts: Cruel and Unnecessary

The Widow’s Pension is designed to help create security and safety for families when they lose a loved one. But this week it is under attack from a new wave of Government cuts. With less money being paid to widows, widowers and surviving civil partners from April 2017 onward.

The changes will only effect those families who lose a loved one after April 6th 2017.

The new rules will add pressure to families when they’re struggling most. Families who’ve just lost a parent are learning to cope on a single income and with one fewer parent. The previous system helped to ease the financial stress with a ‘parachute payment’ which is now greatly decreased.

Families with a terminally ill parent are facing the worst of it, with many having planned for life under the old system now having to look again at the support they can offer to their children or loved ones.

If you want the Government to change its mind and reverse cuts to bereavement benefits, then please share this article with friends and family.

If these changes effect you, friends or family you should visit www.turn2us.org.uk to get support and help.

York Council tries to clear up £6 million contract confusion

We reported in February that the York Council had let social care contracts worth over £1.3 million pa. We questioned then whether the contracts had been properly advertised, whether they represented value for money and how their success would be monitored.

In a Freedom of Information response, the Council has sought to justify its actions

The number of tenders – advertised through Yortender & OJEU – received for each contract was low.

The details are:

  1. Supported Lodgings – 1 tender. Awarded to Safe and Sound Homes (SASH).
  2. Family Support – 4 tenders. Awarded to The Cyrenians (Community Links) This contract is worth £480,000 over 3 years
  3. Older People and People with Physical Disabilities – 3 tenders. Awarded to Yorkshire Housing Ltd.

In total the tenders are worth £6.6 million over a period of 5 years.

The Council has declined to indicate the value of the individual tenders it received.

All contracts were awarded on 15th September 2016 according to the contracts register. However, the decisions were only published in February 2017 (after the contracts had started). The Council itself says that the contracts were awarded, under delegated authority, by Council officials. The was no member involvement after the Executive meeting on 28th April 2016. The Council claims the awards were decided on the following dates

a) 28th Aug 2016

b) 6th January 2017

c) 15th September 2016

It declines to say why the decisions were not recorded in the decisions register until as long as 4 months later.

It has also declined to make available the minutes of any bodies which considered the contracts nor will it say to which publicly accountable body the outputs against target will be reported.

The required outcomes, for two of the contracts, are expressed only in very general terms. They are more specific for the family support contract (see below)

Contrary to the impression given at the Council’s Executive meeting, the potential service providers were apparently not required to provide their “vision” for the service and its customers.

Bungalows completed at York Glen Lodge extension

Work to extend a City of York Council sheltered accommodation scheme is progressing well with a ‘topping out’ ceremony for the two bungalows which residents will move into later this summer.

Glen Lodge Housing with Extra Care Scheme is being extended as part of the council’s plans to modernise accommodation for older people in the city with 25 new flats and two new bungalows being built.  Accommodation is being designed specifically for the needs of people with dementia.

As well as the proposed extension, the council has already invested in providing the help and support available to residents – known as ‘extra care’ – so it is available to residents 24 hrs a day, seven days a week. This enables even more people with higher care and support needs to live at Glen Lodge.

Whilst the bungalows are being ‘topped out’ work on the 25 flats is progressing well, the main building is at second floor level and first fit electrics are going into the lower floors.  As part of the works the entrance to the existing building will be re-vamped, allowing easier access for friends, relatives and the wider community to enjoy the facilities at Glen Lodge. Planning consent was recently given for the entrance changes and work will take place in the early summer.

Glen Lodge is seeing £4 million of investment to increase and further improve care services for older people. The work is part of the Older People’s Accommodation Programme which aims to give older people more choice and control about the care and support they receive.
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‘Take control of your money’ urges new York partnership

York residents can take control of their money for free ahead of changes to benefit payments in the summer, thanks to City of York Council teaming up with South Yorkshire Credit Union Ltd.

Council tenants, private tenants or mortgage holders are welcome to take advantage of the scheme which aims to help people budget, pay essential bills and manage any type of debt or multiple debts.

No-one using the services needs to be an existing customer of the credit union, but is encouraged to open a savings account with a minimum £1 balance to help manage their income and outgoings and so avoid any unnecessary debt.

Anyone wanting help to repay debt will be given tailored advice which could include consolidating any repayments into a single, more manageable account at a lower, fixed interest rate, rather than having to resort to unregulated lenders or loan sharks.

With changes to Universal Credit payments due from July 2017, new applicants could face a delay in payments for six to eight weeks. This new service will help prepare for any predicted shortfalls in income and ensure every day necessities like fuel, mortgage or rent payments are paid for regularly.

The scheme is already tried and trusted by a number of social landlords in the region and some City of York Council tenants are using it too.

The credit union operates on co-operative principles and offers savings and loan products authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority.

Cllr Carol Runciman, executive member with responsibility for financial inclusion at City of York Council, said: “This is a really worthwhile service to residents to help them regain or maintain control of their finances and give access to safer and regulated loans – a much better alternative to doorstep lenders.”
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York social workers praised

 

A peer review of adult safeguarding has praised City of York Council’s ‘amazing’ front line staff, highlighting their ‘can do attitude’ and motivation in providing quality services for residents and making safeguarding personal.

The review, which took place between 23 and 25 January, was requested by the council to assess how York might improve the outcomes for people accessing social care services, in particular how the council and partners promote safeguarding.

The specific scope of the work was to receive:

  • An external view of direction of travel and progress made to transform adult social care in York
  • Recognition of the journey towards implementation of making safeguarding personal and scope for improvement
  • Confirmation and challenge of the self assessment and how York might:
    • Further improve health and well being outcomes for individuals
    • Promote the future sustainability of the health and social care system

As well as praising council staff the report features positive feedback on partnership arrangements, mentioning that the safeguarding board was well represented with ‘extremely committed partners’ adding that they were ‘envious’ of many of the partnerships in place.  (more…)

Muddle over Council contracts

There is some evidence that the award of some contracts – particularly in Social Care – is becoming more transparent. Three have been listed on the Council’s web site this week. They concern:

Unfortunately the information provided is largely opaque. There is no indication of the cost of the contracts, the required outcomes nor the way in which success will be measured.

Lack of attention to detail means that the annex for the “Advocacy” hub refers to the requirements for the “Sensory” hub.

The City is getting a few too many hubs and not enough spokes we think!

Separately, the Police have tweeted to say that a York Neighbourhood Support Team of North Yorkshire Police has been formed. Hope this is a step back towards identifiable community policing and a step away from centralised “hubs”. like the ineffective – at sub-urban level – anti social behaviour unit at West Offices.

Bid to save Carlton Tavern

Carlton Tavern

The York Council is to consider a bid by a local group who want the Carlton Tavern listed as an “asset of community value”.

The application will be considered on 10th April by the Council’s Executive Leader.

If successful, the listing would mean that the local community would have 6 months to raise the necessary funds to purchase the building.

Plans were announced last week to turn the Acomb Road building, which is currently a pub, into an elderly person care home.

Separately the Councils Executive on Thursday is to  consider the  conditions for the sale of the Oakhaven care home site.

As previously reported the Council has already agreed to sell the site to Ashley Homes at a private meeting.

The decision was apparently taken under delegated powers but is now set to be rubber stamped by the Councils Executive.

Oakhaven redevelopment – contractor announced

The Council has announced that Ashley House PLC will develop and operate an Extra Care elderly persons facility which will be built on the Oakhaven site on Acomb Road.

Ashley House generally get good inspection reports for their homes.

The deal – agreed at a behind closed doors decision session – also secures for the Council nomination rights to affordable and discount sale apartments for the next  80 years.

There will be 48 one bedroomed and 8 two bedroomed homes provided on the site

Of these

Oakhaven

  • 20 will be for affordable rent,
  • 5 shared ownership,
  • 15 at market rent and
  • 16 outright sale.

The development will include a lounge, cafe/restaurant, buggy store and staff rooms plus 16 car park spaces.

The one bedroomed properties will be rented for £241 a week and the 2 bedroomed properties for £266. The target sale price for the properties is between £165000 and £195,000.

The developer will pay the Council £150,000 for the land.

If the adjacent Police station becomes available, the developer say he will provide an additional 14 apartments on that part of the site.

Further details can be found by clicking here

Carlton Tavern

Coincidentally, the owners of the nearby Carlton Tavern public house have today announced its closure. They are understood to have sold the site to “Crown Care” who will develop a similar care facility.

The Oakhaven proposals are tied up with controversial plans to develop the Lowfields school site.

At Lowfields, government officials have said that they may not be able to intervene to stop the sale and development of the playing fields “if they have not been used for over 10 years”.

York Council officials claim that Lowfields/High School pupils last used the  sports field in September 1997. In reality it was much later than that.

Meanwhile there is considerable confusion about whether the North Yorkshire police can afford to move their Acomb Police Station onto the Lowfields site, while the NHS has confirmed that no funding has been made available for the promised health centre which was also to have been built there.

A communal housing group has meanwhile announced two “public meetings” to discuss their plans for a small section of the Lowfields Site. Yorspace was allocated a site near little Tudor Road by the Councils Executive although the financial terms of any deal are not yet known. Their allocated site is not on the school playing field as such, although they apparently lobbied for the whole of the school campus to be developed (bringing them into potential conflict with the “Save Lowfields Playing Field” action group which was formed in the autumn) .

The meetings are being held on:

  • 11 March – Foxwood Community Centre, Cranfield Pl, York YO24 3HY, 3pm 
  • 15 March – Chill Cafe, 8a Front St, Acomb, York YO24 3BJ, 7pm

 

 

Mystery shopping’ survey rates council’s Adult Social Care services as ‘excellent’

City of York Council’s frontline customer contact teams in adult social care have been rated as being ‘excellent’ overall by an independent survey.

The mystery shopping report has praised access to social care advice, information and services as ‘excellent’, which is the highest available. The rating was only awarded to two of fifteen local authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber area, meaning York is among the best in the region.

The mystery shopping survey was carried out on behalf of the Yorkshire and Humberside Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, with representatives posing as customers contacting the adult social care team.

Between November 2016 and January 2017 the assessment tested telephone, website, face to face, through the main council reception, out of main office hours services to seek advice on a range of issues.

Out of the six channels assessed, three were rated as ‘excellent’ and three assessed as ‘good’. The website, safeguarding access and out of hours services were rated as ‘excellent’ with reception, face to face and telephone services being rated as ‘good’.
(more…)

Another big York Council contract let in behind closed doors decision

£1 million plus contract for social care started on 1st February 2017 – authorised last week

In April 2016, the York Council considered a major shake-up in its housing support programme. The service had been costing York taxpayers over £2.5 million a year.

The users of this support programmes short term services include the homeless, young people at risk (16-25 year olds including care leavers and teenage parents) offenders, mental health, substance misuse and domestic violence.

Long term services support residents with permanent needs including older people; learning disabilities and mental health.

A report to the Council’s Executive last April said,

“The approach is one of “co-design” with the Council setting some minimum requirements but requesting providers to submit proposals that identify the added value that can be provided and setting out a five-year vision for service delivery which will further enhance provision across the City”

It was expected the the new approach would save taxpayers around £750,000 a year. The new approach anticipated an increase in activity by volunteers.

At about the same time the government announced a cap on the total amount of housing benefit payable to social housing tenants. At the time this was expected to impact heavily on supported accommodation services  like hostels.

The 2016 report said,

“There is however apprehension amongst providers and partners regarding the significant service change that will take place and any resulting reductions in capacity. Some customers have also expressed anxiety over potential change of providers but this will not be known until after the outcome of the proposed “tender” exercise”.

The services put out to tender were Community Wellbeing and Support Services for:

  • Adults (including Mental Health, Homeless, substance misuse, offenders and Young People)
  • Older Persons
  • Young People – Supported Lodgings

The expected total cost of providing these services was £1.27 million (a saving of £750,000)

It had been anticipated that the contract would be awarded in September 2016 with implementation from 1st February 2017.

It appears that the contracts have only recently been authorised although they were implemented at the beginning of the month. (There is a suspicion that the responsible Council official actually agreed the contract in December).

Papers were published on the Council’s web site on Friday but reveal very little either about the cost of the new contracts or their specifications (i.e. targets, outcomes).

September 2017 specification promise

There will be a suspicion that these have only been made public as an afterthought and were possibly prompted by last week’s revelations about previous contract failures.

The three contacts awarded were:

So, substantial contracts have been let apparently without the involvement of the responsible Councillors, with no visibility of the “vision”, the number of tenders received haven’t been reported, nor has the value of the individual contracts or the expected outcome specification/targets.

Some further explanations are needed we think!

*Bizarrely the report claims that the specification for this service will not be agreed until “Sept 2017”