David Ruffley MP Visits Fornham House Residential Care Home

David Ruffley MP met with residents and staff at the Fornham House Residential Care Home on Friday 14 January 2011 to discuss the future of residential care. Residents raised their concerns about changes being made to funding by the new Coalition Government and how it would affect their care. The Government plans to publish a Social Care White Paper in 2011, taking into account the findings of the Social Care Commission.

David Ruffley said: 'We need to support and protect elderly people, whether they live in their own homes, with their family, or in supported housing. My colleagues in the Government are committed to ensuring that people have the right accommodation and receive adequate levels of support to maintain a good quality of life, with as much independence as possible.

The Government has made a start- for example minimal reductions to the Supporting People programme, with £6.5 billion investment secured over the next four years, mean the needs of sheltered housing residents have been protected to a large degree. However, long social care reform has been a talking shop for far too long - real action is needed so local people can shape services to meet the needs of their communities without having to follow Whitehall diktats.

Some residents at Fornham House were concerned with plans to replace the Disability Living Allowance with a new Personal Independence Payment. The Government has said the policy is part of its push for personal budgets in Adult Social Care, a move they say will give disabled people more choice and control over their services, including transport. The Government has launched a consultation on this and contributions can be made by visiting the website: http://dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2010/dla-reform.shtml

Local authority contracts with care homes should cover services to meet all a resident's assessed needs, including any assessed mobility needs. An individual's care, support and mobility needs should be met by residential care providers from social care funding.'