Council ignores recommendation, commits to aged care services

There is finally some clarity on whether the City of Greater Geelong will continue to provide in-home care to some of the region’s most vulnerable following a secret vote on Tuesday night.

One protester made their thoughts clear at a rally organised by the Australian Services Union, held prior to Tuesday night's council meeting. Picture: Supplied.

Geelong councillors have voted in favour of the City of Greater Geelong continuing to provide in-home aged care services following a concerted campaign by the Australian Services Union and local Labor MPs.

The vote was held behind closed doors Tuesday evening due to the “commercially sensitive” nature of the issue, but it emerged soon after that a recommendation by city officers to cease providing care to approximately 3000 residents was struck out.

Instead, all but one of the 11-member council group – Murradoc ward councillor Rowan Story – backed an alternative motion introduced by Andrew Katos that committed to the continuation of all existing services.

Mr Story argued that specialist providers were better placed to provide complex services, sources said.

Council’s mostly female aged care workforce of approximately 230 were briefed by city executives Wednesday morning.

Remaining in aged care will force City Hall to invest an estimated $3m in IT upgrades so it can administer a new payment system in-line with federal government reforms.

This will be more than offset by the $10m-plus in redundancy payments that City Hall would have been on the hook for.

“The IT investment is small change for such an important service and I’m sure this would be the majority view across councillors,” one source said.

The recommendation for council to exit aged care followed an independent review that came after reforms were introduced following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

The review found specialist providers were best placed to fill the void.

The Australian Services Union held a rally prior to Tuesday night's council meeting. Picture: Supplied.

ASU state secretary Tash Wark said the outcome was a win for common sense, dignity, and community values, and set a precedent for public services across Australia.

“This decision proves that when communities, workers, and elected representatives unite, we can defend what matters,” she said.

“Geelong’s aged care workers can now continue providing the compassionate, reliable care our elders deserve, without the uncertainty of privatisation and losing their jobs.”

As part of the reforms, a program dubbed Support at Home will come into effect on July 1, replacing the existing Home Care Packages program.

Council staff will assess the impact on each client’s service and provide an update as they transition across.

“This council was voted in to listen to and advocate on behalf of the community we serve, and that’s what we’ve done,” Mayor Stretch Kontelj said.

“It’s been heartwarming to hear so many stories from people who have told us about how this service makes a difference in their lives every single day.”

Federal Labor MPs Richard Marles and Libby Coker lobbied councillors to take the position they did, as did their state colleagues Christine Couzens, Ella George, Alison Marchant and Gayle Tierney.

“Continuing these services is so important for those who rely on them, particularly the elderly or those living with a disability in Geelong and the surrounds,” Mr Marles said.

“This is an excellent outcome and is a result of the advocacy of so many in the Geelong community.”

Geelong council is one of the last dozen of Victoria’s almost 80 local governments to provide aged care services.

Earlier: Pressure mounts on City Hall to maintain aged care services

Local state Labor politicians are heaping pressure on Geelong councillors to support the continuation of City Hall’s in-home aged care services, while their federal counterparts are urging for the matter to be put on hold.

Richard Marles and Libby Coker co-signed a letter that was emailed to all councillors and chief executive Ali Wastie around midday Tuesday, just hours out from a confidential vote on the issue.

The pair noted the “productive” and “encouraging” ongoing discussions between the City of Greater Geelong and the Department of Health and Aged Care regarding delivery of aged care services.

“The federal government understands the council is set to make a decision on its delivery of aged care services at a meeting on the 27th of May,” they said.

“We urge council to defer this decision until negotiations have concluded and note that a special council meeting could be held prior to the end of the financial year.

“This approach would ensure that all councillors are fully aware of the outcomes of discussions with the department and the available funding options when making their decision.”

Multiple sources familiar with the matter said an alternative motion to be introduced by Andrew Katos on Tuesday night would recommend council continue to provide all aged care services it currently does.

It is expected the motion will pass with majority, if not unanimous, support.

Councillor Andrew Katos is expected to introduce an alternative motion that will see the City of Greater Geelong continue to provide in-home aged care. .

A rally organised by the Australian Services Union will be held prior to Tuesday’s meeting, at which state Labor MPs Christine Couzens, Ella George, Alison Marchant and Gayle Tierney will have a statement read on their behalf.

Ever since news broke in early April that an aged care exit was being considered, the group has been adamant that doing so would be a “complete abrogation of Geelong council’s responsibility”.

This is despite Geelong council being one of the last dozen of Victoria’s almost 80 local governments to provide the services.

“It is not acceptable that this proposal would see up to 300 job losses of hard working, trusted and committed staff at a time of cost-of-living stress, this would be devastating to many families in Geelong,” the Labor MPs said.

“It is not only the 3000 predominantly elderly residents who will lose services and, possibly, their independence to live at home, it is their elderly partners, their children and grandchildren who will have to carry the burden of council’s decision.

“We are hopeful that the Councillors will vote tonight to retain one of the most basic services essential to our community’s health and wellbeing.”

Earlier: Geelong aged care exit to be decided behind closed doors

The debate over whether City Hall should continue to provide in-home aged care will be closed to the public despite some councillors arguing for transparency on the issue.

The matter is listed in the confidential section of Tuesday night’s meeting agenda, which council’s executive director of city life Anthony Basford said was standard protocol when commercially sensitive information was involved.

In an email seen by the Geelong Advertiser, Mr Basford told impacted employees on Friday that a staff meeting would be held Wednesday morning.

“In this meeting, the outcome of the decision will be communicated directly to you in an open and transparent way, and we will be working with all our staff and clients about what the next steps are,” he said.

“Regardless of the upcoming decision, we will be working with all clients to make sure that their care needs are supported. That is our commitment.”

The decision was initially expected on April 10 but that meeting was postponed after significant push back from the Australian Services Union.

That included a Fair Work Commission hearing where the union claimed council has breached its obligations regarding consultation.

Geelong council employs approximately 220 care staff who assist 3000 residents.

“We’ve been treated really, really poorly … called to a meeting with very little notice, blindsided,” one staff member said at the time.

Another really will be help prior to this week’s council meeting. Picture: Alison Wynd.

It is expected that the recommendation from city officers to exit aged care will be overridden by an alternative motion from Deakin ward councillor Andrew Katos.

But whether that motion calls for the status quo to remain or a reduction in some services is unclear.

In the lead up to Tuesday’s vote, some councillors unsuccessfully argued for the vote be held in the public domain, as they did in April.

A union spokesman said City Hall appeared “determined to maintain a shroud of secrecy over the future of aged care in the region”.

“Council management has been unwilling to include the ASU in discussions with the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, despite the union’s representation and advocacy for many council workers in the sector,” the spokesman said.

“The ASU understands council submitted a business case to the department, seeking to increase unit pricing and a reduction in service supply – this is likely to mean supporting fewer clients in the region.”

Mr Basford said in his email that federal government reforms that come into effect in July had forced council to act.

“The reforms require us to respond in some way – doing nothing is not an option, as we would no longer be compliant with the new Support at Home program requirements,” he said.

Mr Basford also took aim at the union.

“It’s been disappointing to read the commentary of the ASU over the past few days … they have claimed that we are moving ahead with the privatisation of our service, but at no point have we ever raised or discussed privatisation, so it’s unclear where this claim has come from,” he said.

“The process of reaching a decision is an extremely complex one, largely due to the uncertain environment created by the Commonwealth Government reforms.”

Originally published as Council ignores recommendation, commits to aged care services