Council staff hit out at 'cruel' cost-cutting plans

A public consultation on the closure of the facilities took place earlier this year

Staff at a council have hit out at the authority's "absolutely crazy" decision to consider closing several care homes and day centres.

Eleven care homes and eight day centres across Derbyshire are at risk of closing as the authority seeks to make cuts to its adult social care budget, which is forming the bulk of the county council's financial pressures.

One adult social care staff member accused Derbyshire County Council of treating staff like "fodder" and "punishing people for their own mistakes", in a reference to the council's financial position.

The council stressed that no decisions have been made yet, ahead of a meeting in November.

The staff members who spoke to the BBC all said they had to remain anonymous, because they had been told by the council not to speak to the media.

Mark, not his real name, is a long-serving care assistant at one of the day centres facing closure, which mostly caters to elderly residents with dementia and learning disabilities.

The residents are picked up from their homes for daytime activities like exercise and artwork.

He says it would be "absolutely terrible" for the residents to lose it, with most having no option but to pay for expensive private care or stay at home.

The Grange Care Home in Eckington is among those that could close

Mark said: "I don't think any reasonable person would do this. There's a sense of disbelief like, how could people be so cruel?

"Residents are devastated. One woman said to me, 'this is my life'. She lives on her own and doesn't have much contact with people.

"It's an absolutely terrible decision to be closing day centres for elderly people without any [other] facilities. Absolutely crazy. They're actually punishing people for their own [financial] mistakes."

Mark also criticised the "abysmal communication" to staff.

"We've all hung in there... you're just fodder," he said.

"It's outrageous that I have to be anonymous, it's another feeling of having no power."

One staff member said the closures would disproportionately affect working class older people

Anne, not her real name, is an adult care social worker with the council who has worked with both care home staff and residents.

She spoke of the "disproportionate impact on working class older people" the closures would have if it means more having to pay for private care.

"They just can't afford that," she said. "Families [with loved ones in private care] often have several family members having to contribute that for one older relative."

Anne also spoke of the "dreadful" morale among adult care staff, exacerbated by the potential closures.

'No decisions yet'

"It's impacting everybody; the staff that work in the services, the staff that don't who worry they'll be next," she said.

“What service is safe?"

In response, a spokesperson for the Conservative-run council said: "We understand this is an unsettling time for staff and residents and we'd like to reassure them that no decisions have been taken yet.

"We've always prided ourselves on being a well-managed council but like all other councils across the country, we're facing increasing financial pressures.

"Demand for adult social care support is rising and with a growing number of people in Derbyshire living with dementia, we need to focus our resources on having the right options to support them and their carers.

"Our residential and day centre colleagues work incredibly hard and do an amazing job of caring for people in these services and we will continue to support all our staff through this process."