Transfer of care packages ‘handled well’ after closure of Wick-based team
The Wick-based community organisation that announced this summer it was shutting down its care team has confirmed that most clients have now been transferred to alternative providers, with others to follow soon.
Pulteneytown People’s Project (PPP) said the changeover of care packages had been “handled well”, with “positive outcomes”. The timescale fits in with an earlier pledge that the process would be completed by the start of November to ensure continuity of service.
Wick’s provost, Jan McEwan, believes there should have been more “openness and transparency”.
It emerged in August that PPP’s Care at Home team was being discontinued because of “operational and financial challenges”.
Clients were assured at the time that the transfer of care packages would be “as smooth and comfortable as possible”. Care had been provided through a contract with the NHS.
A PPP spokesperson said this week: “We have now transferred the majority of our clients over to Eildon, Centred and the NHS, with the remaining few to move over to the NHS over the next week and a bit.
“All staff – bar one who didn’t want to be considered for employment opportunities – were redeployed to other providers or moved into one of the internal vacancies we had in PPP.
“After much negativity in the press, the above demonstrates that this process was handled well with positive outcomes for the clients and staff.”
Last month PPP said it was not divulging the number of employees and clients affected, describing it as “private information in relation to the ongoing consultation process”.
Councillor McEwan spoke out when the issue came to light at the end of August. She described it at the time as “very sad news” and commented that the clients affected “must be quite distressed, anxious and worried”.
This week Councillor McEwan, who represents Wick and East Caithness on Highland Council, said: “I believe if I hadn’t raised concerns, no-one would have been aware of what was happening until after the event.
“In other words, there was no openness and transparency by PPP or NHS Highland.”
Concerns were also expressed at a meeting of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council last month, with one member saying the decision to shut down the care team raised “far more questions than there are answers”.
On September 3, a spokeswoman for PPP said: “We have been focusing all of our energy on a smooth transition period for our clients as well as support to the affected employees.”
As reported in August, a note from PPP to Care at Home clients stated: “After considerable reflection, Pulteneytown People’s Project has made the difficult decision to serve the NHS with notice on the intention to close our Care at Home department.
“This decision was not made lightly, and we understand that this may cause some concern. Due to operational and financial challenges, we are no longer in a position to continue offering Care at Home services. However, our commitment to your wellbeing remains our utmost priority during this transition.”
A spokesperson for NHS Highland said: “We have been supporting the smooth transition for people and their families from PPP to Eildon and Centred.
“Some service users have moved to our own Care at Home service and more will move at the beginning of next month. Recruitment of additional staff to support the service is also being progressed.”
PPP was set up in 2003 as a community-led charity and social enterprise. It is based at the £3.8 million Pulteney Centre in Huddart Street, Wick, which opened in 2012.