CROYDON IN CRISIS: An internal council memo warns staff to be on their best behaviour in Fisher’s Folly while inspectors from the Care Quality Commission are on the premises this week, looking into the borough’s adult social care provision. EXCLUSIVE by STEVEN DOWNES
Office space has been cleared and meeting rooms booked, as staff from the Care Quality Commission arrived at the council offices in Fisher’s Folly this morning for a three-day inspection of Croydon’s adult social care services, including support for the borough’s carers.
The inspection comes little more than a month since the cash-strapped council began working with new contractors, Carers First, and placed the future of the Croydon Carers’ Centre on George Street in jeopardy, against the wishes of dozens of hard-working carers who depend on its support and services.
According to an internal memo to staff from Annette McPartland, Croydon’s corporate director for adult social care and health, which has been seen by Inside Croydon, “It’s the first time adult social care and health services in the UK have been inspected for a number of years.” So the CQC inspectors might be in for a bit of a shock, then…
According to McPartland, the seven inspectors visiting Croydon will, during their visit, be “listening to people who use services and unpaid carers about their experiences”.
Decision-maker: Annette McPartland is the council chief in charge of adult social care
But unpaid carers who have contacted Inside Croydon, expressing their concern about the cuts to the services they receive and the threat of closure hanging over the Carers’ Centre, have suggested that Carers First has been cherry-picking potential interviewees for the CQC inspectors, in an effort to avoid adverse opinions about their approach making it into the inspection report.
In her memo to staff last week, McPartland said: “If you meet any of our CQC colleagues, please make them welcome.” Which is nice.
“This is our chance to showcase the great work all our colleagues do for our residents here in adult social care.”
McPartland had briefed staff that CQC are basing themselves on the first floor at Fisher’s Folly and in the café on the eighth floor, as well as in various meeting rooms: “Please be mindful of the inspectors’ presence around the building and remember that we all represent the council as one team.”
One member of council staff described the memo as “beyond patronising”. They said: “She’s certainly picked up the unmistakable tone of Kerswell,” referring to McPartland’s boss, council chief executive Katherine Kerswell.
It will have been McPartland who will have done much work on the re-tendering for the carers’ support services, handing the contract to Carers First, who did not include any budget provision for the continued lease and staffing of the Croydon Carers’ Centre.
‘Effectively managerless’: Carers have protested over changes to their service, at a centre where two managers have been made redundant this month
The council also promised that there would be no job losses as a consequence of the switch in provider.
When Mayor Jason Perry found himself on the receiving end of a fierce backlash over the closure of the Carers’ Centre, he ordered a quick U-turn, with Carers First, who took charge from April 1, keeping the George Street centre open while the lease still has a little more than a year to run.
But earlier this month, two of the longest-serving staff members at the centre, a manager and assistant manager, were both made redundant, breaking one of Perry’s pledges about the maintenance of the service.
One council insider who has contacted Inside Croydon suggests that no carers who use the George Street centre have been contacted for the CQC’s assessment. “In April, Toby Lee-Manning of Carers First asked for carers at the centre to volunteer for telephone conversations with the CQC. Those volunteering needed to have been registered with the previous provider and had ‘a positive experience of the carers’ service’.
“Only 10 names were required and not all would be contacted. We are not aware of anyone who was put forward having been contacted.”
Rare visitor: Alison Taylor, Carers First’s CEO
Last week, Alison Taylor, the chief executive of Kent-based Carers First, made her first visit to the centre on George Street, when she told carers in the café that there would be no changes to the service provided – the redundancies had occurred just a few days earlier – and asked the carers what they wanted from the service.
Taylor’s appearance was described by some present as “dismissive” and “insulting”. Said one carer, “She made no effort to write any notes”, of what the carers were saying.
“She just repeated the same script that we had heard from Carers First managers before.”
When Taylor was asked what was going to happen to the George Street centre when the lease was up in 15 months’ time, she said, “It depends on what the carers want.”
When asked how Carers First’s “hub” system would operate, the opening hours and other details, Taylor’s response was, “It depends on what the carers want.”
It is reckoned that 20% of Croydon’s carers do not have access to the internet or email, yet by last week – nearly two months since Carers First took over – some carers had still not received a letter by post from the contractors to advise of the changeover and service provision.
Other carers relate that they have been unable to fill in necessary paperwork because Carers First have failed to equip the centre with a printer to generate required forms.
“The centre is now effectively managerless,” one carer told Inside Croydon. Lee-Manning, who has taken on much of the managerial role, is in Croydon no more than one day per week, his Carers First job also taking him to Essex, Haringey, Medway, Merton, Southend and Waltham Forest.
“When he is at the centre he never speaks to the carers and walks past the café entrance without acknowledging anyone in there,” one carer said, accusing Carers First of “cutting corners, which is leading to increased risk”.
The former service providers, the Whitgift Foundation, had paid for a security service at the Carers’ Centre, for the protection of staff in the often volatile town centre. Carers First has not replaced the security at the centre, despite staff requests. It is thought that this is another budget-cutting move.
In recent weeks there have been two incidents where men – one possibly a rough sleeper, the other intoxicated by alcohol or other substances – walked in off George Street and had to be escorted off the premises by a volunteer and a carer.
Questions are also being raised about how the council is funding Carers First, potentially giving grants to provide services which had previously been delivered under the carers service contract, while also sub-letting the Carers’ Centre to Carers First at a subsidised rent.
“Effectively, Croydon residents are now paying twice for Carers First’s services,” according to the source. “The budget they submitted in procurement just doesn’t cover the work that needs to be done, and the council is subsidising them to cover-up their costly error.
“And meanwhile, two hard-working and dedicated staff, who have given years to the service, have paid with their jobs for the council’s bungling.”
Read more: Carers First move to axe managers’ jobs from Croydon centre
Read more: Perry confronted outside Town Hall over Carers’ Centre closure
Read more: ‘Council is gas-lighting us over support services’ say carers
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Better make sure that the Inspectors can access this site.
Don’t forget, David, that La Kerswell has blocked the compooters in Fisher’s Folly from being able to view Inside Croydon.
https://insidecroydon.com/2025/04/22/kerswells-council-blocks-staff-from-reading-inside-croydon/
Maybe the people who have used the Carers’ Centre and who feel excluded should make their feelings known to the CQC directly as a group, if they feel there are things they want to say but feel their voices will not be heard by the inspectors from the CQC.
Well if the CQC are reading this they need to look at some of the care agencies they use, claw backs and “Virtual Wallet”. I am a full time carer for my wife and I could write a book…
4 of us on the Resident Voice group met with members of the CQC yesterday. 2 of whom were carers themselves. The Carer’s Centre was one topic amongst a number that were raised by us. Perhaps there’s an email address where people can reach the CQC inspectors and express their views?
Perhaps Carers First or Mayor Perry could provide the email address?
The Care Quality Commission website has a form where you can give feedback on care, whether that is good or bad experience, or a concern about a service you work for:
https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care