COUNCIL BACKS DOWN ON CHANGES TO ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Plans to save money by taking services away from vulnerable adults in need of support by imposing more restrictive eligibility rules have been shelved.

Vulnerable adults who may need care or support are assessed by the Council. Lambeth provides services such as personal care, domestic help, day services and meals on wheels to people it thinks have ‘critical’ or ‘substantial’ needs.  This will now not change.

Lambeth Council's Cabinet which met on 30th July also confirmed that it would not re-introduce the proposal to restrict eligibility to only those people with 'critical' needs during the lifetime of this administration.

If the plans had gone ahead only those people with ‘critical’ needs would have been eligible to receive services.  Lambeth would have been one of a tiny number of councils in the country with such restrictive eligibility rules.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• Everyone getting community care services at present will now not have to be re-assessed to see if they fit into the ‘critical’ category.
• The 700+ people that the Council admitted would lose services will now not have these taken away.

We welcome this decision and believe that it is the only rational one the Council could have made in response to the overwhelming view of those who took part in the consultation.  This clearly demonstrated that the Council's adult social care services are regarded as a very high priority, not just by those who depend on them but also by large numbers of other residents.

Disabled and older people and their family carers have lost faith and trust in the Council.  The Council must now work to restore its reputation as a borough that cares about and supports its most needy residents.

WE ASK THE COUNCIL TO NOW WORK WITH ITS PARTNERS IN HEALTH AND THE VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR AND WITH SERVICE USERS AND CARERS. IT S MUST MAKE THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING OF SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS AND THEIR CARERS WHO NEED TO BE PLACED AT THE HEART OF ALL ITS POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES THAT ARE AIMED AT IMPROVING LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF LAMBETH.