Having already publicly stated that Scotter House and the Lilacs care homes will be saved, local Tory Rob Waltham has revealed the next stage of his plan to decimate Adult and Childrens Services in North Lincolnshire by re launching a consultation over the future of Scotter House and the Lilacs.

This matter was, we all thought, closed at the last election, with both Labour and the Tories claiming that they would save it.

Labour claimed that the saving would come from a £700,000 renegotiated waste contract which would admittedly plug the gap for the next 12 months, and this is indeed what the Tories have done. However with further cuts and money being squandered on vote winners like free car parking and student travel, its clear that any "waste contract saving" can only be spent once, not three times like the Tories are trying to do.

We have received a briefing from the Labour leadership and the shadow cabinet member for Adult services. Their position on this matter is very clear, Pauline Carlsile, (shadow Adult Services member) told us: 

"We consulted with all service users and their families and the response was very clear – both homes should remain open. Using money saved as part of the waste procurement contract the council can keep both homes open.  The Tories have instead opted to use that money to provide free car parking in Brigg and cheaper bus passes for rural students. If the Tories want to waste taxpayers’ money by consulting with residents yet again then they should just get on with it and not call needless meetings to discuss it. I have no doubt the end result will be exactly the same"

What equally shocking is the Labour Leader's statement that the Labour group will be taking no such part in the extraordinary meeting which has been called for the 22nd July at Pitwood House. Former Tory Candidate Gary Day has covered the proposed meeting in detail, and offers his own suspicions as to what Cllr Waltham is up to:

http://www.visitscunthorpe.com/ScunthorpeNews/Headline/Lilacs-Resource-Centre-and-Scotter-House-Meeting

Cllr Mark Kirk, leader of the Labour opposition group told us "Let me be very clear – the Labour group has gone on record stating both care homes should be saved. 2,400 people signed a petition to save Scotter House, yet the Tories want to ignore them and do it all over again. The Conservatives do not need to call a special meeting to start a consultation. They can – and should – just get on with the job. As a result the Labour group will be taking no part in any meeting which needlessly politicises important issues which affect the lives of vulnerable people"

Now, some people may understand the tactic being used by Labour, but for those that don't, here it is in a nut shell –

The previous administration dealt with this matter and provided concrete and absolute evidence through consultation that the homes are needed. They also found an extra £700,000 necessary to save the homes. They also reversed their earlier decision to close the homes once the consultation exercise had been completed. Therefore in the eyes of the Labour opposition group this matter is closed. What’s more they are 100% correct in this conclusion, it should be, there is no need for further consultation as the care homes have both been saved.

However to not attend a council meeting comes across as nothing other than sour grapes and will doubtless be politicised as such by the Tories. People expect the Labour group to oppose the Tories, not boycott meetings to make cheep political points. 

The Labour group have however pledged to fight any planned cuts to the services of both the Lilacs and Scotter House and have reiterated to me that its just the meeting which will be boycotted as they see this as an unnecessary expense.

Going back to March and April, while the consultation exercise was going on, the Tories were getting their hands dirty with care home workers and telling them that the Tories would save them if the got in to power. Most notable at employing this tactic was Cllr Poole who at the workers day stone laying ceremony, reportedly went over to a group of care home workers and told them their jobs would be safe under the Tories.

This is a pure conjecture, as the Tories have stated on more than one occasion that they believe in closing down children’s homes and placing children with foster carers, which coincidently goes against government advice in the Monro report:

http://www.visitscunthorpe.com/ScunthorpeNews/headline/Why-it-is-wrong-to-combine-child-adult-service

So frankly both parties have plaid the political game with this matter, the Tories albeit more cunningly, with their ring master Rob Waltham calling the shots from behind the façade of the council leader. If you go to this meeting expect Cllr Waltham to call for consultation about the long term future of both Scotter House and the Lilacs, expect him to talk about children's homes no longer being needed as they will foster children with families.

In short, expect him to close homes as some time in the future, and to explain away his actions as necessary and in the public interest.