Extend Co-ops To Social Care
Thursday 19th January 2012
THE PRIME MINISTER’S PROPOSALS ON
CO-OPERATIVES SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY TESTED IN THE COLLAPSED ELDERLY
CARE SECTOR
If Mr Cameron is serious about his
"Big Society" idea then no other sector is more in need of a dose
of it than the elderly social care sector badly damaged by private
equity says GMB
GMB, the union for care staff, commented on
the announcement by Mr Cameron that he will table a Bill to
simplify legislation relating to co-operatives as part of a drive
to encourage employee and customer involvement in owning a share of
businesses. The Prime Minister said co-operatives were "the best
way of improving public services" and key to "popular capitalism,
which allows everyone to share in the success of the market.
Justin Bowden, GMB National Officer for
care home staff said “The Prime Minister’s proposals should
be immediately tested for the collapsed elderly care sector that
has been brought to its knees by private equity.
GMB is calling on David Cameron to
ask the government’s Mutuals Task Force to design a mutual
/co-operative proposal for elderly social care. The elderly social
care sector is crying out for something new. What better than
a system where all the stakeholders have a real stake?
The last care homes of the bust
operator Southern Cross only transferred to new operators last
month. The social care sector - and companies like Four Seasons -
continues to buckle under the weight of its debts and financial
instability.
The social care sector is in
desperate need of a new model of ownership and operation where the
residents, their families, staff, local authorities, the NHS and
everyone connected with the care of our most vulnerable and elderly
has a direct stake in the running of the business.
If Mr Cameron is serious about his
"Big Society" idea then no other sector is more in need of a dose
of it than the elderly social care sector. The Mutuals Task Force
must now offer that opportunity. 2011 was the year of the collapse
of Southern Cross and Four Seasons does not look stable. There is
no better time than now for David Cameron to push for a change in
how care homes and domiciliary care for the elderly are
run."
End
Contact: Justin Bowden, GMB
National Officer 07710 631 351 or GMB Press Office Steve Pryle
07921 289880