Bath and North East Somerset Council has known for eighteen months that it would not renew a contract covering 94 elderly and vulnerable clients locally. Midsomer Norton-based care contractor, Agincare, also known as Homecare B&NES and B&NES Council failed to agree new contracts in 2011. At the time it was reported that: "B&NES Council is planning to reorganise its domicillary care arrangements over the next eighteen months." It planned to give twelve months notice to Agincare.

A Council spokesman explained nearly eighteen months ago that: "There has been a mutual decision between the Council and Agincare not to continue their contract from April 2013 onwards. This is due to neither party being able to come to an agreement on new contract terms. We are now planning to ensure a smooth transition to transfer Agincare's workload."

Nearly eighteen months later, the Council say that: "On 31st March 2013, B&NES Council's contract with home care provider, Homecare B&NES, will come to an end." They say the Council's priorities are:

"To ensure that the 94 clients being provided with services by Homecare B&NES receive continuity of care to meet their assessed needs;

"Keep these service users and their families informed about what the changeover means for them.

"The Council has decided to purchase care from other high-quality home care providers. Plans are in place to review the needs of service users before people are transferred to another home care provider.

"We will be contacting service users and their families to let them know about the next steps. This process will be carried out by Sirona Care and Health. In the meantime, people can contact us with any concerns by phoning 01225 396229."

Many people will be worried that the Council and Sirona have yet to tell them who will be providing their care from 1st April, especially as the Council has known since October 2011 that this was to happen.

The Council is adamant that the reassessment of care needs mentioned is not seeking to reduce care costs, but simply make sure the care provided is appropriate. A B&NES statement said: "The purpose behind the review is to ensure that every client receives continuity of care between transferring from Homecare B&NES to an alternative provider. The care that they receive will be entirely in line with their assessed needs."

The staff, too, will be worried as B&NES Council now says: "The responsibility for the future of the staff affected by the end of the contract lies with Homecare B&NES. The Council has explored with other home care providers an arrangement that would enable Homecare B&NES staff to transfer over to them. However, it has not been possible to agree such an arrangement. The Council has been able to confirm that other agencies already operating in B&NES are able to provide the services required.

"The Council has made significant efforts to agree an arrangement with an alternative social care provider to secure future employment for the staff at Homecare B&NES. Regrettably, no arrangement has been possible with any provider to enable a transfer to take place.

"Our priority must be the 94 clients and ensuring they continue to receive a service."

This is not what staff were expecting. They anticipated simply transferring (TUPEing) to the new service provider. At the time of writing, they do not know what will happen to them.

Many staff learnt about their loss of employment from news websites on Monday, following the Council's issue of a general press release in response to pressure from The Journal. The Council had apparently advised Agincare/Homecare's Solicitors of the situation only on the Friday afternoon before, leaving little time for any communication to Agincare staff.

Many of these carers worked for B&NES and were TUPE'd over to Agincare. At the time, B&NES said: "Discussions have been on-going since September 2006 and have involved staff, unions, service users and their families. The Council had extensive post contract negotiations in line with normal practice with Agincare to ensure the ongoing job security of the staff transferring to Agincare."

That job security would appear to have been shattered by B&NES.

B&NES Councillor for Timsbury, Doug Deacon (Independent), a long term opponent of B&NES Council's privatisation of care services, said: "We find ourselves in another sad situation concerning homecare, where staff lose their jobs and individual clients lose their familiar carers who they have known for years and with whom they have developed excellent caring relationships. There are no winners in this situation, only losers, the staff and the vulnerable people they have cared for."

ED: Good carers don't grow on trees. Why then are the organisations taking on the work not looking to take these experienced and knowledgeable employees?

Perhaps, they cost too much to employ. Maybe too many of them are not on the minimum wage, but on the terms and conditions they were on which they had when they moved to Agincare from Local Government. The promise B&NES made at the time to its TUPE'd staff and their unions now appear worthless.