Under the City of Port Phillip initiative, services such as shopping assistance would be outsourced to a private provider.
Port Phillip council is poised to end provision of in-home aged care services, currently used by 650 residents.
“It’s just made an incredible difference to my quality of life,” said Kingham, 67, who has been using the service for nearly three years. Under the move, 45 council staff would be made redundant and the council would outsource the services “to an accredited provider from a panel approved by the Australian government”. The council would instead fund a bus service for older people, social activities, some delivered meals and other community-based services.Just 26 out of Victoria’s 79 councils retain in-house aged care and home services, according to the Australian Services Union.
The City of Port Phillip said keeping its in-home aged care service would require the development of a new service delivery model which would cost an estimated $1.42 million annually, increasing the cost of the program three-fold. “They just seem to be on this drive to get rid of all services and go to the basics of roads and rubbish.”Baxter is proposing a motion to defer any decision until August 2024, and for the council to commission a new report on options for continuing the service.