Harrow announces u-turn on care

By Sunil Peck

Harrow Council has announced that it will not follow three other councils by tightening eligibility criteria to restrict social care to adults assessed as being in “critical need”.

The council had proposed to tighten its criteria to exclude adults in “substantial need”, but the move was never implemented because the council lost a judicial review in December.

David Ashton, deputy leader of Harrow Council, said: “The lessons learnt from the judicial review process have now been put into action.

“It is our objective to promote the well-being of all adults, ensuring a wide range of support is available to enable people to maintain their independence and improve their quality of life, whilst at the same time ensuring we support the most vulnerable people with the highest standards of care."

The council has announced plans to improve the existing services and provide extra accommodation for people with mental health problems, learning difficulties and physical impairments.

It will also work in partnership with the voluntary sector to improve services which promote independence and increase the number of adults who receive direct payments.

Angela Dias, chief executive of Harrow Association of Disabled People, welcomed the announcement, and said: "It's really good news. It's so important to people to know that their lifestyles will not be affected."

May 12, 2008