Devon County Council is a step closer to off-loading its remaining adult social services after inviting private and voluntary groups to submit tenders for their operation. The council decided last month that it had to buy-in services rather than provide them itself in a bid to save costs. Services to be disposed of include residential homes such as Mapleton, in Newton Abbot, Kenwyn, in Ashburton, Tracey Vale, in Bovey Tracey, and Daw Vale, in Dawlish. Domiciliary care services are also to be offered to outside contractors and the handover is expected to be completed within the next 18 months. Faced with an ageing population and predicted care bill of more than £30 billion by 2026, the council has said the change will result in residents receiving 'better value for money, greater choice and more consistent services'. In April, council leader Cllr Brian Greenslade said there was a 'staggering' gap of £1.77 billion between the projected cost in the coming year and the funds available. The fate of the buildings in which the current services are housed is unclear and a spokesman for the council could not say whether or not they would be sold off or retained. Asked if a new provider could transfer services to new locations he said: 'Everything is up for discussion.' The councillor responsible for social services, Cllr John Rawlison, said of the county end as a care provider: 'Most of our social care for adults is already provided on our behalf by professional care agencies which shows that we don't have to deliver services directly ourselves to ensure good quality.' The council has promised to keep 'stakeholders' fully informed throughout the process and said staff would have the opportunity to transfer to the new providers with their terms of employment protected.
