A 50% increase in charges for attendance and meals at social care day centres in Powys was introduced by Cabinet before the end of the previous council and after the County Council had set its 2017-18 budget. We believe that that decision, which was taken without prior notice or consultation with service users or their carers, was an abuse of process and call on the current Council Cabinet to restore the charges to their previous levels with immediate effect.
Proposer: County Councillor James Gibson-Watt
Seconder: County Councillor Matthew Dorrance
Minutes:
The Monitoring Officer explained that the motion was an attempt to call-in a Cabinet decision. Without creating a precedent the Portfolio Holder had agreed that it could be debated but the Monitoring Officer explained that Council could not reverse the decision but it could ask Cabinet to look again at it.
Council debated the motion proposed by County Councillor James Gibson-Watt and seconded by County Councillor Matthew Dorrance:
“A 50% increase in charges for attendance and meals at social care day centres in Powys was introduced by Cabinet before the end of the previous council and after the County Council had set its 2017-18 budget. We believe that that decision, which was taken without prior notice or consultation with service users or their carers, was an abuse of process and call on the current Council Cabinet to restore the charges to their previous levels with immediate effect.”
In speaking to the motion Councillors Gibson-Watt and Dorrance argued that there had not been proper consultation with service users and that the proposal not been included in the 2017-18 budget agreed by Council. They argued that the charges would deter the most vulnerable from attending day centres and from getting access to hot meals.
The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care explained that in 2014 as part of budget proposals the Council decided to close the day centres but that the decision was not enacted and the savings not taken. The responses to the consultation in 2016 made it clear that it would cause significant hardship for users and carers and it would not help the Council meet assessed need. During the consultation people had said that they would be prepared to pay more for the service rather than lose it. Cabinet reversed the decision to close day care centres and put back the savings back into the budget, however, day time activities had to make £150,000 savings. The Portfolio Holder reminded members that there was a £70 cap on weekly charges and that financial assessments meant the most vulnerable did not have to pay.
More than 10 members stood to request a named vote.
By 30 votes to 28 with 2 abstentions it was
RESOLVED to call on the current Council Cabinet to restore the charges to their previous levels with immediate effect.
Mark Barnes |
Absent |
Myfanwy Alexander |
Absent |
Beverley Baynham |
Abstain |
Graham Breeze |
Against |
Jackie Charlton |
For |
Linda Corfield |
Against |
Kelvyn Curry |
Absent |
Aled Davies |
Against |
Bryn Davies |
For |
Dai Davies |
Against |
Phyl Davies |
Against |
Sandra Davies |
For |
Matthew Dorrance |
For |
Emily Durrant |
For |
David Evans |
Against |
James Evans |
Against |
Liam Fitzpatrick |
Against |
Les George |
Against |
James Gibson-Watt |
For |
Rosemarie Harris |
Against |
Stephen Hayes |
Against |
Heulwen Hulme |
Against |
Amanda Jenner |
For |
Arwel Jones |
Absent |
David Jones |
Against |
Emyr Jones |
Against |
Gareth Jones |
Against |
Joy Jones |
For |
E Michael Jones |
Against |
Michael J Jones |
Did not vote |
Diane Poston-Jones |
For |
Francesca Jump |
For |
Karen Laurie-Parry |
Did not vote |
Hywel Lewis |
Against |
Karl Lewis |
For |
Peter Lewis |
Absent |
Sarah Lewis |
Against |
Maureen Mackenzie |
Absent |
Iain McIntosh |
Against |
Susan McNicholas |
For |
Davis Meredith |
For |
Claire Mills |
For |
Gareth Morgan |
Absent |
John Morris |
For |
Neil Morrison |
For |
Rachel Powell |
Against |
William Powell |
Absent |
David Price |
Against |
Phil Pritchard |
Against |
Gareth Pugh |
For |
Jeremy Pugh |
Absent |
Gareth Ratcliffe |
For |
Lucy Roberts |
Against |
Pete Roberts |
For |
Kath Roberts-Jones |
Against |
Edwin Roderick |
For |
Daniel Rowlands |
For |
David Selby |
For |
Kathryn Silk |
For |
David Thomas |
For |
Gwynfor Thomas |
Against |
Timothy Van-Rees |
Against |
Elwyn Vaughan |
For |
Martin Weale |
Against |
Jonathan Wilkinson |
Against |
Ange Williams |
For |
Gwilym Williams |
Abstain |
Huw Williams |
For |
Jon Williams |
For |
Michael Williams |
Did not vote |
Roger Williams |
For |
Sarah Williams |
For |