Stop West Berkshire Rationing Community care

Unlike neighbouring Reading, which continues to support people with "substantial" and "greater moderate" needs, West Berkshire has for some years restricted help only to those in "critical" need.

But West Berkshire has now withdrawn the promise of support even from that group, rationing care and saying in effect that if you need care you have to wait until somebody else no longer needs it and the money becomes available.

As West Berkshire's Lead Coucillor for Community Care, Joe Mooney, describes it: "For example, someone looking for a place in a care home would need to have greater need than before”. "Critical", like the other eligibility bands for social care, is defined nationally by the Department of Health. "Critical" is when:
life is, or will be, threatened; and/or
significant health problems have developed or will develop; and/or
there is, or will be, little or no choice and control over vital aspects of the immediate environment; and/or
serious abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur; and/or
there is, or will be, an inability to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines; and/or
vital involvement in work, education or learning cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
vital social support systems and relationships cannot or will not be sustained; and/or
vital family and other social roles and responsibilities cannot or will not be undertaken.

So West Berkshire's Conservative Council is now saying that meeting those criteria is no longer enough, that they will not promise to support even someone in a life-threatening situation, suffering serious abuse or neglect, or unable to carry out vital personal care or domestic routines or sustain vital family responsibilities.