‘Havering’s Social Care team have done the absolute best they can with the resources available to them’-Havering Residents Association.

Councillor Gillian Ford responds to Havering’s Leader of the Council’s article on the Care Quality Commission Report.

The HRA inherited social care services that had come out of covid mode into a service that saw an increase in complex needs with increased cost, and significant government underfunding. The Care Quality Commission and OFSTED do not consider the amount of funding a Council has available to them therefore comparing Councils next to each other, this puts lower funded Councils at a disadvantage from the start.

Havering’s Social Care team have done the absolute best they can with the resources available to them. There is a national shortage of social care workers and a mismatch between what an agency can pay compared to a Council. Havering has not received the right funding for the level of need for many years and over the last four years that has become more acute due to demographic change which the Government failed to recognise.

The HRA was turning the ship including through investment and improvements within Children’s services, the introduction of invest to save schemes including supported living accommodation, SEND provision and the building of a 300 placement SEND School, development of in borough respite provision, development of children’s homes, re-introducing social workers onto hospital wards to address discharge issues, discharge to access schemes, collaborative working with the boroughs care providers, established the Carers Strategy, set up the Carers Board, publicity to get all carers registered with training and support offers, enhanced the advocacy service, delivered a new Dementia Strategy, funded Havering Volunteer Centre and Citizens Advice. 

None of this has been highlighted within the Leaders statement, neither has he mentioned the Councils challenge back to CQC over the outcomes. For example the same scheme used in Havering to that of a neighbouring borough was criticised, yet commended in the other boroughs CQC report. There are national concerns over the quality of CQC reporting and the inconsistencies.

However, that does not mean more doesn’t need to be done. It does need investment as does children’s services. We made tough decisions such as the closure of three libraries but Reform are telling us they will re-open them, they will stop the data centre, they will increase the Section 92 officers, they will improve our high-streets, they will build houses, they will clear the Launders Lane site, stop fly-tipping, review car parking charges, all within the Councils finances. 

We took tough decisions, now let’s see if they can deliver all of their promises.

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