Telecare scheme branded 'waste of money' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Telecare scheme branded 'waste of money'

7:07pm Sunday 5th August 2007 in News By Camilla Sutcliffe

SOCIAL Services bosses have been slammed after only 200 elderly people took up Lancashire's £1.7 million hi-tech home care scheme.

Lancashire County Council launched the Telecare scheme in October last year, to place sensors throughout vulnerable people's homes which automatically alert staff if the client is in danger.

It was hoped that more than 500 people in East Lancashire alone would take up the scheme in its first few months, but only 50 in Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley have signed up.

Now, according to a report to the council's Lancashire Local committees, County Hall is set to launch a marketing campaign and training for social workers to promote the service.

But councillors have said that this would be "throwing good money after bad" and that the cash would be better spent providing additional services to vulnerable people.

The council has already spent £541,000 of the budget, which came from the government's preventative technology grant. Lancashire Telecare was meant to have been self-sufficient within 14 months if it is to continue.

The government had set a target for around 3,400 people in Lancashire to be using the service by then, but that has been slashed to just 1,800 after it became clear that the figure could not be reached.

Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle called the scheme an "appalling waste of taxpayers' money."

He said: "I don't understand why this cash can't be spent on proper care for elderly residents rather than trying to convince them to use all this hi-tech so-called care."

Hyndburn council leader Peter Britcliffe added: "It seems highly extravagant and it would be far better to be addressing practical issues rather than these futuristic methods which always cost a lot of money and benefit very few people.

"Now they are going to throw good money after bad with an expensive marketing campaign."

A spokesman for the county council said performance had been "disappointing so far", but that more packages were expected to be installed after an "official launch" next month - almost a year after the scheme began.

He said: "The current take-up is quite low at the moment but I want to stress that we have not officially launched it yet and some people are quite reluctant when they hear about Telecare, especially when they don't know what it means."

Richard Jones, executive director of adult and community services at Lancashire County Council said: "Telecare Services help provide support, reassurance and activate an early response if someone needs urgent assistance."