Sarcasm was rife at the Wandsworth council meeting yesterday evening during which a motion for an audit of adult social care was denied.

Audit committee member and Labour Councillor Peter Carpenter used irony to show his displeasure with the current situation and said: “Why do we provide adult social care?

“They [elderly people] are unlikely to make further contributions to society. We should kill off those who qualify.”

A motion submitted by Deputy Leader of the Opposition Councillor Candida Jones and Councillor Jeremy Ambache sought an audit of both in-house and externally provided adult care services.

It sought to protect the adult social care budget and lobby the Government for additional funding.

The motion appealed for the introduction of enhanced reporting and scrutiny of complaints made by people in the care system and an assurance all care staff in Wandworth receive the London Living Wage.

Tensions were high when it came to interactions between Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan,  Chairwoman of the Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Claire Clay and Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health Councillor James Maddon.

Cllr Clay accused Dr Allin-Khan of saying previously that “Wandsworth doesn’t care about its carers”.

Dr Allin-Khan denied this statement and offered video proof.

She said: “I said it doesn’t pay carers the minimum wage.”

In a report released in October, The Homecare Deficit 2016, UKHCA estimated that the cost of homecare is £16.70 per hour.

The report showed that Wandsworth pays £13.30.

In response to this the council said that the rates paid in Wandsworth have been negotiated and agreed with their contracted providers and as the employer the wage is their responsibility.

In response to a suggestion by Cllr Maddon that Dr Allin-Khan had fabricated case studies with regard to failings in adult social care, the Tooting MP revealed that one of the examples had been about her father who suffers from dementia.

The MP made an impassioned speech detailing occasions when carers failed to show up and the blame was put on her father, in that he was accused of having “imagined it”.

She said: ““They said he was too crazy to remember.”

Cllr Carpenter said that the measure of a civilised society was based on “how it treats its vulnerable”.

Chairwoman of the Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Claire Clay listed out a number of vulnerable people in society such as the elderly, disabled, and young.

She said: “The council will provide the help you need.

“We pay and we do it willingly.”

Although neither side was in agreement and the motion was denied, there was general agreement that adult social care was reaching a “tipping point”.

In response to the meeting Dr Allin-Khan said: “Services for the elderly, people with mental health needs and those with disabilities are facing a growing funding crisis.

“By awarding contracts for services such as homecare on the basis of the lowest price, Wandsworth council is failing to ensure that they are funded at a level to ensure the highest quality of service.

“Some agencies used, don't pay the London living wage and have CQC ratings "requiring improvement".” 

The MP said Wandsworth council’s response to concerns about adult social care has not been satisfactory.

She said:  “It must now take action as a matter of urgency to find more money for these services and to press the Government to increase the amount of funding available nationally.”

In response to the decision not to pass the motion Cllr Maddan said: "The council are totally supportive of those who are the most vulnerable in our society and those who provide hours and hours of care, both paid and unpaid.  

“We will continue to ensure that everybody who requires our help receives the proper level of care.    

“Sadly the motion did not restrict itself to these core principles and included a number of irrelevancies.

“We had no alternative but to vote against it."

The meeting (December 7) was the last general council meeting before Christmas.

Let me know your view: grainne.cuffe@london.newsquest.co.uk