Worcestershire County Council has launched a consultation on a proposal called ‘Maximum Expenditure Policy’ which has been met with controversy.
If a decision is made to implement this, it could mean the amount of social care provision allocated to people will be capped. Aspire will be responding to the consultation, as we believe if people require care, they should have the option for it to be provided in their own home. The concern is that individuals may be forced to live in care homes against their will, on the basis of this being cheaper in comparison to other alternatives.
While nothing has been decided on yet, Aspire is hopeful that this proposal stays just that - a proposal - and doesn’t become an official policy. It is particularly concerning that other councils could follow the same route if Worcestershire County Council were to move forward with this.
Alex Rankin, Director of Services, responded to the call for consultation by saying,“At Aspire, we’re passionate about ensuring that anyone who is paralysed by a spinal cord injury has the opportunities that most of us just take for granted. It is of huge concern, therefore, to see proposals for a policy that would do so much to deny individuals their independence and their chances to get on with their lives. Aspire, together with numerous other disability organisations, will be fighting this proposal and are hopeful that the council sees sense.”