The jobs of 23 people who work to get Wangaratta’s most vulnerable elderly and disabled the help they need are in jeopardy.
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Wangaratta Council is considering getting rid of its packaged care services that provide specialists services such as podiatry or home improvements.
The services could be transferred to another accredited agency to ensure patients continued to receive care, but there would be no guarantee on the jobs.
A decision was due by mid-January.
Council chief executive officer Brendan McGrath said he met with staff on Wednesday morning to break the news.
He said he chose the timing of this decision on the jobs, a month out from Christmas, to end speculation.
“The staff in this service knew what was going on and had some anxiety about that,” Mr McGrath said.
“We wanted to provide some resolution to that.”
He said the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme was the reason to consider the change.
Under the new system, disability clients would “shop around” for their own care providers.
That meant councils would not be guaranteed the same chunk of federal and state government funding it had received.
“We have to look at whether we’re able to stay competitive in that environment,” Mr McGrath said.
“Other providers will be able to deliver services at a lower cost and will provide clients with better value in the service they receive.
“For us, the health and wellbeing of clients and their ability to receive the services they need have been priority.”
A service such as Goulburn Valley Health has been touted as an option to take on the services.
Mr McGrath said some of the 23 staff could be redeployed within the council, some could take redundancies, and it was likely other providers would need extra staff for the increased work.
The council currently provides 324 care packages across nine local government areas in the Hume Region, with 30 per cent located in Wangaratta.
The packaged care services were separate to home and community care, which would continue for more than 1500 elderly and disabled people receiving personal help in their homes.
Mr McGrath said the review was part of the broader “our future” project, looking at the viability of a number of council services.
