Game over for Swindon Council's home care team

A mix of around 90 staff and campaigners turned out on Thursday night in one final push rescue the service, which is due to be privatised from the end of the month.

They bellowed, banged drums and blew whistles outside the Civic Offices singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as they prepared for the showdown in the council chambers. But it was all in vain.

The council heard a motion to suspend the privatisation and look at alternatives.

It could have salvaged the 60-plus care workers’ jobs, but it was shot down, 31 votes to 15.

Labour group leader, Coun Derique Montaut, who had called the special full council meeting, said afterwards: “That’s it. Game over. That’s that. It’s gone.

“It’s not just a disappointment. Their reward for delivering an excellent service is redundancy notices and the sack, in a very tough economic climate.”

And Ann-Marie Black, one of the carers who has led the campaign to save the service, said: “Very disappointed. They’re not listening. But we’ll be out there in May (when the council election begins).”

But they did not go down without a fight.

There were fierce exchanges in the chamber throughout the meeting, which formally noted a petition of more than 10,000 signatures calling for the service to stay.

Coun Mark Dempsey (Lab, Parks) said: “There are 10,000 voices in this chamber tonight, sending us a clear message.

“That scrapping home care is reckless, irresponsible, and may endanger the lives of the most vulnerable people in our town.”

The council’s care team is being farmed out to private firms because the council claims it is too expensive and inefficient.

Council leader Coun Rod Bluh (Con, Dorcan) said the quality care was never in question, but insisted they had been failing to live up to their agreement of providing 1,800 hours of care a week.

Coun Montaut said this simply meant it’s been badly managed.

“Who exactly has been running the council for the last seven years?” he said.

“You’ve had more than enough time to make home care run more efficiently.

“The fact they’re now privatising the home care service shows they failed to deliver value for money to Swindon council taxpayers.”

He said not looking for a way around privatisation would show “nothing more than ideological dogma based on Thatcherite policies.”

As the meeting wore on there was even a call to clear the council chamber as the audience became restless.

And there was uproar when deputy leader Coun Garry Perkins (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms) hit back at Labour critics, saying: “We’re not scrapping homecare. It’s scaremongering, trying to get votes and get people to sign your petitions, not telling people the truth.”

Coun Peter Greenhalgh (Con, Freshbrook and Grange Park) said: “We all know there’s an election coming up. Get over it.”

But as the meeting wrapped up, after two-and-a-half hours, there were shouts and heckles from the public gallery.