LibDem defence of the need to shut the centres at Boaler Street and Leighton Dene

Email from Frank Doran, LibDem councillor in Kensington and Fairfield to a select few residents he is hoping to get on side, at least four of which are card carrying Labour Party members - but no matter, if that is how good his targetting is then good luck to him.


Dear All,

I thought I would clarify some of the issues surrounding Boaler St AP hostel. The premises were part of a scheme were the Council were working with the PCT to deal with the bed blocking issue at the Royal teaching hospital. In view of some misleading information being rolled out in the area I thought I would clarify the issue. That clarification is attached.

If you have any further information you would like me to clarify, then please let me know.

(Yes please Frank, please clarify how closing these rehab and respite centres will assist with the bed blocking issue at the Royal?)

With best Wishes.
Frank Doran.
Councillor for kensington and Fairfield


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Bradley, Warren \(Leader of the City Council\)"

To: ,
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:39:44 -0000
Subject: Leighton Dene & Boaler St Short-term Respite Facilities.

For Publication.

Dear Sir,

With Reference to Stephen Twigg's letter on the 18th March 2008, please accept this response as the present factual position:

Officers are clear that the re-provision of the services currently provided at these facilities needs to be carefully and sensitively handled, and given the extent of changes in adult social care in recent years imposed by the Labour Government, this is frankly not new territory.

Short-term respite care services provided by Liverpool City Council will continue at alternative sites; the Council has no intention of discontinuing the service, despite the Labour opposition's ignorance of the factual position.

Key Points:

The two establishments provide intense rehabilitation for a few weeks for some people leaving hospital. They are not "homes" and shouldn't be referred to as such.

The beds at the two establishments constitute only 6% of the total beds available for this type of support in Liverpool.

Alternative arrangements will be in place before we start to implement the restructure. This will be a combination of in-house and private sector residential homes, along with opportunities using released funds to assist people's rehabilitation in their own home; where this is requested.

The re-structure is not a service cut; we are moving away from expensive
bed based provision which will enable us to help more people and give them more choice over the type of help they want and where.

Enabling people to leave hospital safely and promptly once medically fit for
discharge remains a key priority for the Council and PCT working closely together.

Over the last few years the numbers of people waiting for social care support to leave hospital has gone down massively, a trend of which the Council is proud. New arrangements as outlined above will have no adverse impact on this achievement and our continuing commitment to people who require such a service.

This commitment is city wide and modernising the way service is provided will not adversely affect any area of the city.

The Reprovision of Older People's Mental Health Services

Of course the day facilities and respite resource for older people with mental health problems currently provided at Leighton Dene will continue.

Current plans are to relocate the day facilities to Norris Green and the respite resource to Sedgemoor Residential Home. Regarding the day facilities, the necessary changes can be made without disruption to the group already attending Norris Green. Regarding the respite resource, Sedgemoor has eleven vacancies and can offer
the service, again with minimum disruption.

This is a coherent way forward, which will not adversely affect people who require short-term respite facilities, Stephen Twigg and the Labour party will be aware that other council's up and down the country have re-structured in a similar way.

Yours sincerely
Councillor Warren Bradley
Leader of Liverpool City Council


Well now, fair's fair, you have to give them their chance to defend themselves.

However, it is all wrong on so many points.

1. Warren Bradley says we should be clear that Boaler Street Rehab Unit is not a home, but a centre. (Frank thinks it is an AP hostel, whatever that is, answers on a postcard please, he voted to shut it down but doesnt even know what it is.)

It might not be a home now, but it used to be a home Warren until a few years ago, when the LiDems shut it down and said the future lay in rehab and respite!

2. The Labour Government has not said we should close down respite and rehab units, quite the reverse, they have suggested these are the future in terms of managing bed-blocking. This is cynical cost-cutting at its worst.

3. I see in Cllr Bradley's letter that he says "we are moving away from expensive bed based provision which will enable us to help more people and give them more choice over the type of help they want and where."

Does he even know what this means? Frank Doran obviously doesn’t. How could they vote for this nonsense?

These beds in Boaler Street, in the centre (not a home no, not any more) are for people to sleep in when they are in respite care because their carers need a rest away from them. These beds in Boaler Street are also for rehab, for people who are well enough to leave hospital but not well enough to go home yet.

If the LibDem plans are to "move away" from bed based provision, how can either of these services be provided?

Will we ask people to sleep standing up? Or to go home just before bed-time and then come back just before breakfast?

Getting a good night's sleep is vital for carers and they often don’t get it, which is why respite is so important as it gives them a clear night's sleep uninterrupted. Or at least it did until Warren Bradley and Frank Doran decided you could manage this without the person you care for actually leaving home.

What kind of choice are we offering people here? Given that Warren Bradley says it is all about giving people choice.

None at all apparently, you cannot sleep overnight if you need respite care and you cannot sleep overnight if you need rehab - it is too expensive they say. Our people are not worth it the money apparently.

Perhaps we could offer people the opportunity to have their spare bedroom decorated and then if they felt they needed a change they could try sleeping in there instead?

Still it gives us another empty council building, another lack of council services, to mock the residents with. They will be pleased that their councillor, Frank Doran, has voted for the ending of yet another facility in Kensington and Fairfield.