The Vote: Rob Jarrett explains a tough decision
Rob Jarrett, chairman of the council Adult Care and Health Committee on services for vulnerable adults living in Brighton
High-quality services for some of the most vulnerable people in our community need to be maintained while at the same time in a tough economic climate providing value for money. The decisions are never easy but we are changing our accommodation services for people with learning disabilities to improve and protect services for people with high-level needs. This is part of a long-term plan to develop the council-run service in the city.
There is an enormous amount of sensitivity around asking people with learning disabilities to move house and I am acutely aware that any changes we make must happen with minimal disruption. We’re dedicated to working and making these changes in a kind and considerate way which ensures our clients and their families are treated with respect. Familiar staff will move with the people.
This has not been easy but we do need to make changes. We need a service which not only fits the needs of our clients but also fits the restrictions of the budget. We spend more per person in this area than most local authorities so we need to make sure we are making the best use of the money.
Making better use of the buildings we already have and enabling staff to work in more flexible ways is the key to making changes which will ensure better long-term care. This is not a return to institutions. We will have people living four or five to a house rather than in twos or threes.
It’s also important to emphasise we haven’t reached these decisions in isolation. We’ve worked very hard to make sure we engage and consult the people who these changes would affect. There has been an extensive consultation period with the families involved and the staff who take care of them.
Over the past few months we have been keeping jobs vacant where it is safe to do so and covering them with temporary and agency staff in order to protect jobs for our permanent staff. We’re also working closely with staff and unions and hope that through careful management of vacancies and planning the changes over the next year we expect all our staff to have the opportunity to remain working with the council and do not expect any staff to be made compulsorily redundant.
Councillors are also now being asked to agree to explore suggestions made by staff during the consultation aimed at developing our service in a way that enables some people currently living outside the city to move back if they so wish.
These decisions are difficult but I believe that we can make changes which will improve the lives of people in our community with the highest level of needs.
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