KCC-private health at taxpayer expense

From Kent on Sunday website and newspaper 5 November
1)  http://www.kentonsunday.co.uk/kent-news/KCC-spends-£200k-on-private-healthcare-for-bosses-newsinkent41801.aspx?news=local


County Hall finance chiefs have come under fire for spending almost £200,000 on health insurance for senior members of staff.

The provision of private healthcare only exists in a small number of authorities, with Kent County Council fourth in a national league table after last year splashing out on expensive premiums for 250 employees.

According to figures released by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, KCC also spent £56,044 on 117 overseas trips.

"It's ridiculous that council top brass have been treated to private medical treatment with taxpayers' money," said Fiona McEvoy, campaign manager for the Taxpayers' Alliance.

"If they want to go private then they can choose to do so, but they should pay for it out of their own generous salaries.

"We already pay for the NHS, and if that's good enough for us then it should be good enough for senior managers at KCC."

A total of about £2.9 million was spent on private healthcare last year for more than 5,000 members of staff at 56 councils throughout the UK.

The most senior officers at KCC pay their own medical premiums, but 250 other managers had the £750 bill paid for them.

"The senior medical insurance scheme was designed originally as part of our total reward package," said Cllr Roger Gough, cabinet member for corporate support services and performance management.

"It is critical in attracting and retaining senior managers and creating a scheme which is of mutual benefit to the employer and employee.

"The fund is run as a trust and we have actively sought members from other public sector organisations to make the scheme as cost-effective as possible."

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism requested figures from councils across the UK to identify areas in which it felt they could save money without cutting residents' services.

In addition to private healthcare and overseas trips, it also looked into areas including sickness absence, redundancy bills, mortgage subsidies and early termination payments.

Bromley council was one of the local authorities highlighted in the report after it spent £1.06m on fuel, mileage allowances and subsistence allowances for 1,458 employees last year.

Meanwhile, KCC has also responded to criticism that over the past year it spent more than £12,000 training members of staff to use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Cllr Gough said: "We are in the 21st century, and as a council we need to move with the times.

"Social media is a hugely valuable tool that not only allows us to share information with residents but also gives people the chance to tell us what they think and ask questions through a format they want to use.

"For that reason our members need to be able to use social media. They need the right training to understand the tools and understand how they can best be used to help residents, as well as knowing how to use social media responsibly."

2) Social Care for elderly cuts:
 http://www.kentonsunday.co.uk/kent-news/Social-care-funding-cuts-put-elderly-at-risk--newsinkent41845.aspx?news=local

Elderly and vulnerable people will suffer if any cuts are made to homecare and community support, charities have warned.



Age Concern bosses in west Kent agreed that it was hard to know where cuts could be made and that any reduction in services for people already dependent on support with everyday tasks such as getting out of bed, washing dressing and eating, would be a "disaster".

It comes after the Local Government Association this week raised concerns that spending cuts could force councils to scrap home help for the elderly and disabled.

The LGA raised fears of a crisis in adult social care that would see councils tightening eligibility criteria in a move that would affect people with dementia, Parkinson's disease and diabetes. It claimed "virtually all" councils woudl be forced to end home help due to the squeeze on budgets and an ageing population.

Kent County Council said there were no plans to tighten eligibility criteria, but said that it would be looking at every part of the adult social care budget and whether it was a good use of money.

Sandra Springett, chief executive of Age Concern Tunbridge Wells, said: "As far as we know KCC does not plan to restrict the existing criteria for people needing assistance with personal care, but recent cuts announced in the spending review coupled with the ageing population will mean considerably more pressure on the system.

"It is of great concern to older people who already feel that the support they receive at home is only just adequate now but who could not remain at home without this help."

She said the majority of older people want to stay in their own homes and be as independent as possible.

"Most will only accept the minimal amount of help and assistance so it is really difficult to see where cuts could be made," she said.

"There are certainly not the residential or nursing homes available locally, even if this was a desired option, and in most cases considerably more expensive alternative to community care."

Rowena Love, manager of Tonbridge Age Concern, said that elderly people enjoyed seeing their care worker.

"It is practical care, plus it’s just the company – someone going in to wash and dress them who is cheerful and coming in to have a chat. That’s worth so much and that it does not go into the equation," she said.

"I really don’t know, but there does not seem to be an awful lot of people who could lose care without suffering."

Ms Springett was concerned that the knock-on effect of public spending cuts was the impact on community services such as day care centres and other support services that rely on statutory grants and help prevent older people feeling lonely and isolated.



"Without such services some older people will be confined to their own homes, those who need specialist transport and support to go out, those who need to be able to socialise in an environment where their particular personal care needs can be met would all be greatly disadvantaged," she said.

"All services for older people were already under huge pressure. People live much longer, which is great, but this also increases the incidence of ill health for some later in life both physically and/or mentally."

Ms Springett added: "Those who are dependent on help and support to perform everyday personal care tasks such as getting out of bed, washing and dressing, preparing and eating food any reduction in their services would be a disaster for that individual."

Manager at the Tonbridge branch of the charity, Ms Love said voluntary organisations, carers and relatives have "enormous concerns" about the future of adult social care.

"Our concerns would be because fewer people are going into care more old and vulnerable people are staying in their own homes if those are the sort of people whose care is reduced they are going to be through it."

KCC’s cabinet member for Kent Adult Social Services, Cllr Graham Gibbens, said: "Adult social care is facing a continuing pressure to meet increased need and find ways of meeting people’s needs as efficiently and effectively as possible.

"Being responsible with the adult social care budget means looking at everything we do and identifying whether it is a good use of limited public money. There are no plans to tighten eligibility criteria."

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