Carers urged to find 'inner strength' and protest cost-cutting proposals in Renfrewshire
Carers have been urged to find their "inner strength" and protest cost-cutting proposals that would affect some of Renfrewshire's most vulnerable people.
Campaigners are set to pick up their placards and make their voices heard again next week after Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) published stark detail on potential measures to close its budget gap earlier this month.
Documents released as part of the engagement process provided grim substance to plans that were discussed at the integration joint board (IJB) – which oversees the HSCP – last year.
The range of services that could be impacted cater to people with learning and physical disabilities and autism as well as older adults and children.
It comes just over a year after carers won their battle to prevent the amalgamation of Mirin and Milldale day services – an idea which was voted down at the IJB last April.
But they plan to return to Renfrewshire House on Friday, June 27, to fight fresh proposals, including a redesign of day services for people with learning and physical disabilities, a respite review and other possible closures.
Linda Murray, a representative of the Renfrewshire Learning Disability Carers Group, said: "We knew it wasn't a done deal last year. We basically got a stay of execution.
"We're tired, we're exhausted, it took a lot out of all of us and we expected to at least get a couple of years' grace but we knew it wasn't over.
"They're making all these proposals but they can't give us an idea of what the services are going to look like going forward. There's no substance behind the numbers.
"It just seems to be all about the money and not about the people, the lives and the impact that this is going to have on those people. I said the same last year, it's pounds over people.
"It seems to be a constant battle but I would just ask people to find that inner strength that I know that they've all got and give us another 45 minutes to an hour on Friday, June 27, to show solidarity for the services that are impacted."
If approved at the IJB in September, day services for people with learning and physical disabilities would operate across three hubs – Milldale at the On-X in Linwood and the Anchor Centre and Spinners Gate in Paisley.
Services would no longer use Paton's Resource Centre in Johnstone or the Mirin at Lagoon Leisure Centre and the Disability Resource Centre in Paisley.
There could also be changes to respite provision at Weavers Linn, with people deemed in 'critical need' receiving up to 28 nights per year and in 'substantial need' receiving up to 21 nights.
In older adult day services, the closure of Ralston Day Centre has been proposed and people would instead be offered a place at facilities in Johnstone and Renfrew.
Autism Connections and Flexicare, which support people with autism and learning disabilities, could be shut down while the HSCP could make a saving by ending the assertive outreach model, which helps people with learning disabilities with high care needs.
Other ideas include removing three staff posts from the health visiting team through retirement or not filling vacancies and the scaling back of the Childsmile programme.
Linda, whose daughter Gillian has Down syndrome and a learning disability, has criticised a number of the suggestions put forward by the HSCP.
She added: "We're all realistic people, we've all had to cut our cloth with the financial crisis that's going on just now and we totally understand that, but I just think it's been done so haphazardly and the areas that they're cutting and making savings on are so ill-conceived.
"The learning disability community and the physical disability community as well now seem to be an easy target."
An HSCP spokesperson said: "IJBs across Scotland are currently facing significant financial challenges.
"In recognition of this position, Renfrewshire IJB considered around £19m of possible savings options across HSCP service areas when it met in December 2024.
"This reflected the IJB's decision that savings of 10 per cent across all influenceable service budgets should be identified, wherever possible.
"Several proposals were approved at the time, which will enable the HSCP to deliver operational efficiencies and achieve savings through the redesign of internal service models.
"This included proposals for care at home, community nursing, primary care support and community mental health. We are engaging with our staff around these proposals and the revised models for these areas are in development.
"Responsibility for implementation and monitoring of these proposals has been delegated to the HSCP's sustainable futures programme board.
"The proposals that are currently open to the live public engagement process were also considered in December 2024 and the IJB agreed that these should be further developed, with feedback gathered through public engagement.
"The proposals currently being discussed were developed through ongoing discussion with service users, carers, impacted staff and partners.
"As part of our engagement approach, we have offered people a variety of ways to share their views on the proposals. This is well underway, but options will be available for them to contribute until the end of June.
"Feedback gathered will be used to help IJB voting members understand the impact each proposal would have when they meet to review the updated proposals at their meeting in September.
"However, it is important to emphasise that no decisions will be made on any of these proposals until then."
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