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SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN KENT CONSULTATION (OLDER PERSONS STRATEGIC REVIEW)
Kent County Council’s ruling Conservative administration are carrying out a review of how they spend the ‘supporting people money’ given by the Labour Government. The consultation was due to end on April 30th 2007, however following pressure from County Councillor Leslie Christie (Labour Member for Northfleet & Gravesend West) the consultation was extended to 1st June 2007. If Kent’s Tory Administration choose to change the way the supporting people money is spent, it could mean the following:
Supporting people money would not automatically be spent on Wardens or lifelines for Sheltered Housing Schemes.
Current Sheltered Housing Schemes could loose their dedicated Warden in favour of a ‘Floating Warden’ that would NOT be dedicated to an individual development, however, allocated to a wider area.
The point of view of your Local County Councillors: Leslie Christie has been leading the consultation process in Northfleet & Gravesend West with the support of his colleague Ray Parker. So far all sheltered complexes in Northfleet & Gravesend West (seven in total) have been visited and meetings held with residents to explain what’s being proposed. It was important for Councillors Christie and Parker to hear first hand the views of local residents. Councillors Christie and Parker believe that it would be fundamentally wrong to remove the invaluable support provided by the static Wardens and replace them with an ‘ad-hoc’ mobile system. Many people chose to move in to sheltered accommodation because they either needed the support of a warden or believed that they would need support in the future. To remove the support provided by the Wardens in Sheltered Accommodation would be a breach of trust and expose vulnerable people to a life of insecurity. Action: Leslie Christie and Ray Parker have written to all residents (in sheltered accommodation) in Northfleet & Gravesend West to highlight the consultation and have requested that each development responds before the deadline. Furthermore a formal response had been sent to Kent County Council from the County Councillors highlighting why they think it would be wrong to remove the Wardens from the sheltered complexes. With the support of Coldharbour Borough Councillors, both Leslie Christie and Ray Parker met with Mr Andy Chequers (Head of Housing Services) at Gravesham Borough Council. You can read both letters by clicking on the corresponding document below: Letter to residents in sheltered accommodation....  Letter to KCC responding to the Consultation.... |
