Jobs could be lost as a result of controversial cuts to Angus Council’s community meals service.
The local authority is set to halve the number of hot meals delivered to residents who use its “meals on wheels” service in a bid to make cash savings.
However, the number of man hours needed to deliver the soon-to-be reduced service will also be cut which could lead to job losses or delivery drivers having to be “re-deployed” within the authority’s workforce.
The council delivers approximately 3,500 hot meals to the homes of around 450 residents every week. Recipients can choose to have a hot meal delivered to their home at lunchtime, in the evening, or both.
Angus Council is cutting that service to the delivery of one meal during the day, which will come with a sandwich for the resident to have for dinner.
The cuts will save an estimated £400,000 a year but could result in changes to delivery driver jobs due to a reduction in hours.
The county’s social work and health convener, Forfar councillor Glennis Middleton, said that the council is doing “the best it can” and that the department will make “strenuous efforts” to redeploy any staff affected.
Mrs Middleton said: “All staff and all service-users have been in discussion with the department and strenuous efforts will be made to redeploy those staff who wish to be in other council work.
“I think that the department has acted appropriately and all staff and service users have been spoken to and included in discussions.”
The local authority came in for criticism last week after the plans to halve the number of hot meals delivered to the elderly emerged.
Pensioners’ relatives and a national charity have been critical of the cash-saving move, but Mrs Middleton defended the decision to reduce the service and said that the authority would continue to deliver “excellent” meals during tough economic times and the needs of service-users would always be met.
“There was the widest possible consultation with service-users and their carers,” Mrs Middleton said at a meeting in Forfar.
“No service-users have complained. I think it’s a better use of staff time. Members had the opportunity to try the meals and we all thought they were excellent.”
Age Scotland said service reviews based merely on cost in a “race for the bottom” fashion could have a detrimental impact.
Policy, research and influencing director Susanne Cameron-Nielsen said: “A review which develops into a race for the bottom is not going to be delivering the high-quality, person-centred care and health services.”
It was alleged the changes would see the new format meals providing nutrition in line with what school pupils expect.
However, Mrs Middleton refuted that suggestion and said: “There was a suggestion that we might be delivering food that would be fit for a primary school pupil but these meals are substantial.
“Those who choose two meals will have their hot meals delivered and will also have a sandwich, a yoghurt and a piece of fruit delivered for teatime.
“There’s been a suggestion that some older people could suffer from malnutrition these meals are very carefully thought out.”
During the meeting of Forfar Community Council, chairwoman Isobel Ross asked of Mrs Middleton: “There are people who do need a second hot meal in the evening. Will that continue?”
The SNP councillor for Forfar answered that there are no people in Angus who require a service that will not receive it, and all cases would be looked into.
“Officers have worked very hard and have come up with a way of continuing to deliver meals not all councils do,” she added.
“Some deliver frozen meals, which I would not countenance.”