Care campaigners urge Norfolk County Council to spend more Icelandic bank cash on saving services

By Richard Wheeler
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
6:58 PM

Council bosses have today been urged to spend more money recovered from Icelandic bank investments on protecting care services for the elderly.

Norfolk County Council is estimating it will recover more than £30m of the £32.5m it held in three banks, which collapsed in 2008.

But preventative care services, designed to spot the early signs of illness in people, are facing cuts of £11m in the next two years.

Campaigners supporting the elderly are preparing to quiz council officials next month, as part of the Age UK Norfolk and Age UK Norwich Cut Cake Not Care campaign.

Lady Joyce Hopwood, chairman of both the Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership Board and Norwich Older People’s Forum, said the remaining council cuts will have a “massive effect” on people.

And she told today’s Norfolk Council on Ageing Meeting: “We think more of the Icelandic money should be used to make sure none of the preventative services should be cut.”

Budget papers say the county council estimates it will recover £32.114m. But the documents add: “However, there is still some uncertainty regarding the amounts and timing of the repayments, especially for Landsbanki, which is likely to be made over a period up to and including 2018. A prudent approach should be taken in releasing these funds, while there is still some ongoing uncertainty.”

David Harwood, the authority’s cabinet member for adult and community services, said £2.5m of Icelandic bank cash had already been put aside to help support day centres and voluntary groups during changes to services.

But he said it would not be right to take more money out of the reserves. He said: “It’s one-off money - once it’s gone, it’s gone. We have all said right from the start we need to redesign the services.”

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4 comments

And in good Lutheranian tradition, lets nail this poem by KeithA.Wells sr. on to the doors of every retirement home in Norfolk. Crabby Old Man What do you see nurses? . . What do you see? What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me? A crabby old man, . ... .. not very wise, Uncertain of habit .. . .. . . . . . with faraway eyes? Who dribbles his food . . .. . . . . and makes no reply . When you say in a loud voice .. . . . .. 'I do wish you'd try!' Who seems not to notice . ... . the things that you do . And forever is losing . . . . .. . . . . . A sock or shoe? Who, resisting or not . . . . . . .. . . lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding The long day to fill? Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me . I'll tell you who I am . As I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of Ten ... . . . . . with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters . . . ... . . . . . who love one another. A young boy of Sixteen . . with wings on his feet Dreaming that soon now . . . .. .. . . a lover he'll meet.. A groom soon at Twenty . my heart gives a leap. Remembering, the vows . . . . .. . that I promised to keep. At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . . I have young of my own. Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home. A man of Thirty . . . . .. . . . .. My young now grown fast, Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last. At Forty, my young sons .. . have grown and are gone, But my woman's beside me . . . . . . . to see I don't mourn. At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee, Again, we know children . . . . . . . My loved one and me. Dark days are upon me . . my wife is now dead. I look at the future ... . .. . . . . . . shudder with dread.. For my young are all rearing . . . . . .. young of their own. And I think of the years . . .. and the love that I've known. I'm now an old man . . . . . .. .. . . and nature is cruel. Tis jest to make old age . . . . look like a fool. The body, it crumbles .. . . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.. There is now a stone . . . .. . . . where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass . . a young guy still dwells, And now and again . . . .. . . . my battered heart swells. I remember the joys . . . . . . . . .. I remember the pain. And I'm loving and living . . . . . .. . . . . life over again. I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast. And accept the stark fact . . . . . .. that nothing can last. So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see. Not a crabby old man. Look closer . . . see ME!! Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . . we will all, one day, be there, too

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ingo wagenknecht

Monday, January 30, 2012
And in good Lutheranian tradition, lets nail this poem by KeithA.Wells sr. on to the doors of every retirement home in Norfolk. Crabby Old Man What do you see nurses? . . What do you see? What are you thinking . . . . . when you're looking at me? A crabby old man, . ... .. not very wise, Uncertain of habit .. . .. . . . . . with faraway eyes? Who dribbles his food . . .. . . . . and makes no reply . When you say in a loud voice .. . . . .. 'I do wish you'd try!' Who seems not to notice . ... . the things that you do . And forever is losing . . . . .. . . . . . A sock or shoe? Who, resisting or not . . . . . . .. . . lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding The long day to fill? Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse . . . . . you're not looking at me . I'll tell you who I am . As I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, . . . . . . as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of Ten ... . . . . . with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters . . . ... . . . . . who love one another. A young boy of Sixteen . . with wings on his feet Dreaming that soon now . . . .. .. . . a lover he'll meet.. A groom soon at Twenty . my heart gives a leap. Remembering, the vows . . . . .. . that I promised to keep. At Twenty-Five, now . . . . . . . . I have young of my own. Who need me to guide . . . . And a secure happy home. A man of Thirty . . . . .. . . . .. My young now grown fast, Bound to each other . . . . . . . With ties that should last. At Forty, my young sons .. . have grown and are gone, But my woman's beside me . . . . . . . to see I don't mourn. At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee, Again, we know children . . . . . . . My loved one and me. Dark days are upon me . . my wife is now dead. I look at the future ... . .. . . . . . . shudder with dread.. For my young are all rearing . . . . . .. young of their own. And I think of the years . . .. and the love that I've known. I'm now an old man . . . . . .. .. . . and nature is cruel. Tis jest to make old age . . . . look like a fool. The body, it crumbles .. . . . . . . grace and vigor, depart.. There is now a stone . . . .. . . . where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass . . a young guy still dwells, And now and again . . . .. . . . my battered heart swells. I remember the joys . . . . . . . . .. I remember the pain. And I'm loving and living . . . . . .. . . . . life over again. I think of the years, all too few . . . . . gone too fast. And accept the stark fact . . . . . .. that nothing can last. So open your eyes, people . . . . . . . . open and see. Not a crabby old man. Look closer . . . see ME!! Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within . . . . we will all, one day, be there, too

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ingo wagenknecht

Monday, January 30, 2012
How do we even know there is any money as they just estimated that figure.

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Z:)

Friday, January 27, 2012
Don't be silly. They wont spend it on Care or any other thing that will benefit the public. It will be spent on their pensions, pay and bonuses. After all the pigs at the trough still need to be fed.

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"V"

Thursday, January 26, 2012