Save Wolverhampton’s Elderly Care

The campaign to save Nelson Mandela House, Merry Hill House and Woden and Bradley Resource Centres has been ignored by our Labour council.

“The Unison Petition opposing home closures and outsourcing was almost 5,500 strong and was considered by the petitions committee on the 6th November.
Thank you and well done to everyone that has helped with the petition” Ade Turner Unison Branch Secretary, lead petitioner who addressed the committee. This was to no avail.

The councils proposals to restructure elderly service provision in Wolverhampton are not based on improving the service but to make financial savings.

The dismantling of what we believe are excellent services in the pursuit of savings is counterproductive and not in the best interests of the older people of the city .

1,000 strong Facebook Campaign – Wolverhampton save older peoples services https://www.facebook.com/groups/1468767063442524

Wolverhampton City Council plan to close Nelson Mandela House, Merry Hill House and Woden Support Centre that provide respite & rehab care for people around the city.

Up to 250 social care workers now may be made redundant and services farmed out to private providers that cut quality to make profits on reduced budgets: minimum wage, no traveling time, little or no training.

The people of Wolverhampton will be hit three-fold:
(i) quality public services axed;
(ii) up to 250 jobs gone;
(iii) extra pressure on local NHS services as they pick up the pieces of cut-price private sector provision.

E-mail Council Leader Roger Lawrence and Lead Cabinet Member Ellias Mattu to protest:
roger.lawrence@wolverhampton
elias.mattu@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Council Report: http://wolverhampton.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s12710/Better%20care%20technology%20and%20strengthening%20support%20at%20home.pdf

UNISON has commissioned research by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) is a not-for-profit organisation to challenge the council’s case.

Stand together and stop this attack on the people of Wolverhampton!
No more cuts & privatisations!

the petition signed by 5,500 local people reads:

We the undersigned call on Wolverhampton city council to oppose the recommendations made in the cabinet report of July 22nd 2015 ‘better care technology and strengthening support at home’.
we believe the citizens of Wolverhampton value the high standard of care currently delivered at Merry Hill House, Nelson Mandela house, Woden and Bradley Resource Centres which already best meet the needs of service users including in the provision of residential care, respite, rehabilitation, CICT, HARP and day care.
therefore we oppose any move to close these establishments and/or outsource elderly care provision to the private sector and call on our elected members to do the same.

Wolverhampton UNISON Local Government branch lobbied Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet meeting and over 50 people joined in on 22nd July.

22 july wolverhampton council protest