Sale of the Care Homes – would you let someone have your house on a promise to be paid later?
Liberal Democrats on Leicestershire County Council have used the example of giving your home to someone with a 'promise' of future payment as an example of the ludicrous and unnecessary risk Leicestershire Conservatives are taking with the 9 remaining care homes.
The Lib Dems have been opposing the sale of the homes for years and believe that this final deal is the worst possible for the following reasons:
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This is a terrible deal for tax payers and will not end the uncertainty for frail and vulnerable residents and their families. We believe that the deal is very risky; exposing the Council to massive costs if it goes wrong.
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The Council has already made savings which means that the homes are less of a burden than they were. This means we could hold to the homes for a few more years until the economy improves and potential buyers can borrow the money they need to really invest in the homes and protect their future. This will cost money - but is in our opinion better for residents and a potentially better deal for tax payers later.
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The concerns the CQC have raised are all to do with the management and running of Southend Cares other homes - we expect only the best for our elderly residents in these homes and the CQC judgements raises serious concerns about the companies capacity to run the homes. It is our view that the transfer should not have taken place until the CQC has re-inspected the homes and ensured that the proper standards have been achieved.
Sarah Hill, Lib Dem Adults & Communities spokesperson said, "if I came to you and said give me your house and I promise to pay when I get the money - you would rightly think this is incredibly risky. This is basically what is happening with the Care Homes.
I am amazed at how the Conservatives and, in particular, Cabinet Lead Member David Sprason has remained so blind and ignorant of the terrible risks they are taking - especially when the report on the deal they had two weeks ago gave them the option to abandon the sale and review their strategy.
Whilst they have changed leadership, this secretive saga of dead-ends and risk taking with the lives of elderly people has shown that the Tories really don't care and are incapable of listening. "
The submission the Lib Dem group put in on 14th Sept is here