By Kirsty Paterson

Copyright dailyrecord

Falkirk councillors have backed a call for clearer information when council services are affected by decisions made by Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board (IJB), which oversees health and social care in the district. At a special meeting called by Independent councillor Brian McCabe today (Tuesday), councillors supported his motion to ensure that any IJB decisions affecting Falkirk Council services should be advised to the council, giving members an opportunity to feed back. Cllr McCabe made the call following the IJB’s controversial decision to replace Falkirk Council staff in Tygetshaugh Court, a housing with care complex in Dunipace, with private care providers. Read more: Falkirk staff praised as schools get ‘very good’ report card The move has sparked anger from residents and their families who say there was no consultation with them before the changes were announced. Much of the anger was initially directed at local councillors, including Councillor McCabe, who said they had been unaware of the decision until it was raised with them by constituents. The IJB is an independent legal body that brings together services provided by the local authority and the NHS in a bid to integrate services more effectively. But Councillor McCabe told the meeting that the IJB decision to make changes at Tygetshaugh Court was “the perfect example of where revisions imposed by the IJB are having a detrimental impact on the council”. Tygetshaugh residents, he told the meeting, had signed up to a welcome pack in which Falkirk Council detailed the services that would be provided – including a laundry service and social activities. As the IJB decision means these services will no longer be provided, he said Falkirk Council has been left having to respond to changes, “despite not being informed of the changes or their impacts”. “This IJB simply fails to communicate with the council on such basic matters,” he said. “Falkirk councillors are democratically accountable to the electorate – the IJB must be reminded of this fact and kindly requested to acknowledge and respect the role of local authority representatives. “We must be made aware of decisions affecting delegated council services and assets, with the opportunity to feedback on these proposals. “The current model clearly isn’t working and things will only deteriorate,” he said. The SNP leader of the council, Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn, said they were not here to revisit the IJB’s decision and pointed out that the IJB’s structure is set out in law and is not something councillors can change. But she did recognise the motion’s desire for “more information at an earlier stage in order that elected members are aware and can give feedback to the IJB as part of its decision-making process”. She also acknowledged that financial pressures that have been building mean that things are “going to get more difficult”. In order to continue to provide services to those to most in need, she said, “we may have to take difficult decisions”. “The earlier members are aware of those decisions, even if they are not fully worked through, the better,” she said. Labour’s Anne Hannah – one of the council’s three representatives on the board – said she has been working “really hard” for the past three and a half years “to get councillors to take an interest in the activities of the Integration Joint Board because there are a lot of very vital services there”. She said she was pleased to see councillors looking for more information and that officers are looking at ways to engage more regularly with members. Conservative group leader James Kerr agreed that “more and earlier communication” is key, particularly for the families affected. “Change is hard for everybody – it’s hard for the families and its hard for the people who live there,” he said. “We’re not here to change decisions the IJB has made but going forward if we can get more communication earlier that will allow anyone who has any concerns the right to raise it.” The chief officer of Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership said that this year there would be additional engagement sessions, in addition to the usual sessions held for councillors ahead of the IJB presenting its annual performance report and business plan for approval. “We do seek to be as open and transparent as possible and we’ll continue to do that and bring an appropriate level of detail as it is available,” she said. For more Falkirk stories, sign up to our newsletter here .