A decision over the future of Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Careline Service is set to be delayed following a recent consultation exercise.
Careline supports people in their own home through assistive technology, such as fall bracelets, and help with lifting.
The council believes that private providers are now better placed to run such a service and was due to make a final decision at a cabinet meeting this month based on the results of a six-week consultation excercise and ayear-long review.
But now the decision has been postponed after Colchester City Council and private companies expressed an interest in taking on all or part of the Careline service, with further discussion needed about how a service could be delivered in an alternative way.
Councillor Gina Placey, TDC’s cabinet member for partnerships, said: “More than 1,000 responses were received as part of the consultation exercise, with 60 per cent of service users indicating that they would, if necessary, be willing to move to an alternative trusted provider – and this currently remains the council’s preferred option.”
Cllr Placey will recommend that Colchester City Council and other interested parties are invited to put forward formal proposals, with a further report to be made in February next year. That will mean that a final decision on the future of Careline could be made early in 2025 – with a possible midsummer date for the council to stop providing the service.
