Charity criticises carer support contracts ending

A Surrey charity has expressed anger over a council's decision to end its contracts to provide carer support.

Crossroads Care Surrey (CCS), based in Leatherhead, said it would mean a layer of protection for people being removed and almost 1,500 carers who rely on the emergency care plans will be affected.

Stephen Goodger, whose son is supported by the charity, told the BBC the charity's service "takes away some of the loneliness for you, and the worry".

Surrey County Council (SCC) said the contracts had not achieved the impact that was expected and "existing council and health services" would be used to support carers instead.

The contracts with CCS involve emergency support to ensure someone being cared for gets assistance if the carer is not available, as well as support for those caring for someone in the last year of their life.

The CEO of the charity, Terry Hawkins, said it is "preventative support" which is "not supposed to be used every day".

"Family and friends are contacted first, but when they can't help, that's when a reliable emergency response becomes critical…that's the part now being removed," he said.

Hawkins added: "You don't measure its value by how often it's used, but by what happens when it's needed."

Goodger said his 40 year-old-son Tom, who lives in Woking, has autism and learning difficulties and said CCS were "the wicket keeper, if you like."

"It feels like it's something taken away from you that you'd already sorted," he said.

"You feel that as a father and a carer you've sorted an emergency provision out at least…and so it takes away some of the loneliness for you, and the worry of it."

A spokesperson for SCC said due process had been followed in making decisions on the contracts and that "replacement care in a crisis or emergency situation will be covered by the county council, as it already is in many cases".

They added: "After careful review, we've decided to end – or not renew - contracts with Crossroads Care Surrey for carer support services because the contracts have failed to achieve the impact we expected.

"Take-up has been lower than we intended and we can't justify continuing to fund the arrangements."

The spokesperson added that the council is "focusing on making the best use of existing council and health services to support carers, drawing on Surrey's wide range of care providers as needed."

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