The City of Canning’s Canning Lodge and home and community care programs could soon be run by not-for-profit organisations.
The move will be one of the biggest ever shake ups to the city’s care services area.
Canning councillors agreed to invite proposals from not-for-profits to undertake several services currently run by the city at their ordinary council meeting on September 20.
The city will now call for proposals to run the Canning Lodge residential aged care facility in Willetton and its home and community care programs, which includes Meals on Wheels.
It will also call for proposals on the Commonwealth funded national respite for carers program.
Proposals for the home care packages program will also be considered.
Each proposal would be assessed against criteria to ensure value for money and high level of service.
The city will also hire an independent aged care consultant to look at whether they could continue to offer the services at a sustainable cost.
The council’s decision was the result of a wider review of the city’s aged and disability care services programs.
It was prompted by major changes to state and federal funding coming in 2017 and 2018.
These services cater for more than 2000 individual clients and employ more than 200 staff and 180 volunteers.
Councillors also decided to continue in house operation of places like the Rossmoyne and Willetton retirement villages and the Herald Avenue Care Services building.
They also decided to continue the operation of the city’s disability services as they are.
The review was a contentious issue in the city.
Some residents raised concerns about the quality of care if it was privatised.
Residents also wanted to know what would happen to volunteers and staff.
Canning mayor Paul Ng said the debate and decision made by council was vigorous and sensible.
“The decision made by council was based on the best possible outcomes for residents,” he said.
“It is based on best outcomes for clients of the council’s services, staff and volunteers, ratepayers and council, not on any savings to be made.
“I thank the councillors for their vigorous questioning and analysis of this issue as well as directors Trengove and Adams for their hard work and dedication in providing very detailed information to council.”
He said it was too premature to be able to make any decisions on the future of staff and volunteers currently within the city’s aged and disability care services.
“The city will ensure that our clients, our staff and the community are kept up to date every step of the way,” he said.
The results of the not-for-profit proposals and the aged care consultant’s report on the city’s ability to continue managing its aged care services will be presented to council in February 2017.
The Herald Avenue Senior Citizens Club operates at the city’s Herald Avenue Care Services building.
Secretary Sheila Taskett welcomed the decision and was happy they could continue operating as normal.
The next City of Canning agenda briefing meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4.
