Two Stars Yesterday ! How many tomorrow after Tory Cuts?

9.09.00am GMT Tue 12th Dec 2006

Northamptonshire County Council's Cabinet received a report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection at their meeting on Monday 11th. December 2006.

Commenting on the report Cllr. David Garlick, Lib Dem Spokesman says:

"This report is history and no longer anything to be congratulated about. The inspection took place before the County's Cabinet approved changes to the Eligibility Criteria for Social Care, before the closure of respite homes, and other social care cuts, began to bite."

Although the service received two stars as "serving most people well" and "with promising prospects of improvements" the inspectors expressed their concerns that next year the service that Older People "helped to live at home" shows a decrease in the level of service provided, not just by one level of service, but by two.

Likewise Younger Physically Disabled People helped to live at home also shows a decrease from level five to level three.

The service to Adults with Mental Health Difficulties will reduce from band five to band four.

Cllr. Garlick said: "People across the county are telling a very different story to this report, one of increasing costs, disappearing services and increasing demands falling on carers and families."

Cllr. Sally Beardsworth added: "People in Northamptonshire deserve better than this Conservative Administration will be supplying next year. They should be improving services to frail and vulnerable people, not reducing them."