Learning disabilities support to private profit making company

[Tracyann41 10]

Sheffield City council are about to transfer the daily support and care of people with learning disabilities from the NHS service to a private profit making company.

These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society who cannot speak up for themselves and as most of them are under the registered care of the local authorities...the same people who are selling them out...have no voice.

As a relative of people with learning disabilities I know the devastation this will bring to such as my relative who reacts badly to change in her environment and careers, she risks loosing careers that have been in place for over 20 years and who she has grow to trust and love like family.

In addition this has already happened in Doncaster, where the NHS staff who have transferred to the new provider have been asked to take a £7000 per year pay cut.

I have started an e-petition on the Sheffield City council petition site(if they allow the petition to be registered there).

 

Could I ask you visit the site And sign it on behalf of all the current and future people who will have need of this service to try to prevent this change from going ahead.

 

Please act quickly- if the Sheffield council receive no opposition, this change could come into effect 1st July without informing the relatives of these people prior to the tender being signed.

 

 

Tracy

[dutch 68]

This is disgusting. Disabled are the most vulnerable of society and often incapable to protect themselves from selfish private companies.

All that money is going to private pockets now and little of it will be used for what it is meant to do.

[geared 321]

You seem just as unhappy that the council has employed a private company as you do for the welfare of those people involved.

 

Get your priorities in order.

[Tracyann41 10]

how dare you, you obviously have no awareness of what has happened to care for the elderly in nursing homes around the country due to privatisation. Services that are linked to the care of any group of people in our community should never be privatised, so money is being spent on the right elements of care, not on providing profit for companies.

 

Privatisation in such areas brings low wages, low skills and high turn around in staff.

If you knew anything about learning disability people, you would know that they require stability, do not respond well to change an trust is developed by years of relationship building with their carers.

 

hope you never have need of the service in the future for a member of your family cause people like you will ensure it does not fit the needs of these people.

Working for a private company, I have nothing against privatisation for the right business/service.

[xxjenxx 10]

Hi Tracey

 

I agree with all you have said about the privatisation of services, no doubt the council are saying this is a 'difficult' and 'necessary' decision to save money. Why do they not realise that in the long run this will create further problems and high cost eg.to manage crisis situations. It's so frustrating having worked in the area of learning disabilities for a long time, that nothing seems to be improving! I know there are some standard private companies, but absolutely agree with the consequences of privatisation. The care sector needs more respect, for it to be seen as a valuable career and role, and not just what 'anyone' can do.

 

Also, just ignore the comment made above, people just try and get a reaction about something they clearly know nothing about.

I will sign the petition and pass this on ;0)

[Jonny5 10]

You need to get the petition up and/or put in some contact information for where people can voice their concerns. If the deadline is July 1st its probably already too late:(.

 

Although some private care companies are very good, some most certainly are not and this is a really bad idea.

[Plain Talker 11]

You seem just as unhappy that the council has employed a private company as you do for the welfare of those people involved.

 

Get your priorities in order.

 

I don't know, geared... I think she is right to be concerned that her loved ones with disabilities are seemingly being sold down the river.

[geared 321]

She probably is, but starting things off ranting about private profit making companies just makes my eyes roll.

 

If it was a specific grievance about a specific company which have been shown to be bad I'd be much more inclined to help take action.

 

As it is we know nothing about 'the company' and nothing about who took the decision to employ them in the first place, was it SCC, was it NHS, was it a combination of the two??

[ryder8904 10]

OK let's keep care services state run, then let's have a 50 percent council tax rise to pay for it.

 

Whos with me?

[geared 321]

That is disgusting!

 

Trying to get the required number of posts to put up a for sale advert???

 

At least attempt to join in the discussion :roll:

[rickiethecat 10]

Sheffield City council are about to transfer the daily support and care of people with learning disabilities from the NHS service to a private profit making company.

These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society who cannot speak up for themselves and as most of them are under the registered care of the local authorities...the same people who are selling them out...have no voice.

As a relative of people with learning disabilities I know the devastation this will bring to such as my relative who reacts badly to change in her environment and careers, she risks loosing careers that have been in place for over 20 years and who she has grow to trust and love like family.

In addition this has already happened in Doncaster, where the NHS staff who have transferred to the new provider have been asked to take a £7000 per year pay cut.

I have started an e-petition on the Sheffield City council petition site(if they allow the petition to be registered there).

 

Could I ask you visit the site And sign it on behalf of all the current and future people who will have need of this service to try to prevent this change from going ahead.

 

Please act quickly- if the Sheffield council receive no opposition, this change could come into effect 1st July without informing the relatives of these people prior to the tender being signed.

 

 

Tracy

 

For once it sounds like Sheffield City Council are making a sensible decision. Services tend to run far more efficiently under private ownership rather than under council control.

[vincentb 10]

She probably is, but starting things off ranting about private profit making companies just makes my eyes roll.

 

If it was a specific grievance about a specific company which have been shown to be bad I'd be much more inclined to help take action.

 

As it is we know nothing about 'the company' and nothing about who took the decision to employ them in the first place, was it SCC, was it NHS, was it a combination of the two??

 

Even without specific grievances about specific companies, the OP is right to be fearful of the effects on the quality of service. In the case of sexual health, clinicians recently went public with a really strong warning about how contracting out was sending these services downhill:

• Contractors failing to provide service premises
  
• Contractors excluding doctors from key meetings
  
• A contractor unable to deliver services because it could not retain staff
  

Mental Health services are particularly vulnerable to this kind of disruption, because their patients are often not stable enough to cope with changes to their care and support.