I AM writing as an individual.

I am Professor of Social Care at Lancaster University and have expertise in the areas of residential homes and of support services for people in the community.

This note is written not as an attack on Lancashire Social Services but in the spirit of wanting to be available to help in the dialogue about the future of services if that is thought helpful.

Most people do want to stay living in their own homes in old age but there may be insufficient services and not enough housing choices.

There are some older people who want to live in residential homes.

Choices may be reduced because as a society we are not willing to pay adequate wages to staff working in residential homes or domiciliary services.

Many of the significant factors are nationally determined and cannot be resolved by Lancashire County council.

The endeavour of Lancashire County Council to develop new ways to support people in older age is to be welcomed.

Legal battles about the closure of specific homes are not the best ways to promote the development of the best policy and the interests of current residents if other solutions can be found.

The way forward is for the local authority a) to accept that there will have to be increased short term costs to fund good management of change and b) to seek to involve in finding solutions those with concerns about the current residents of homes.

Local reviews should be conducted to establish preferences and best solutions for housing and services, including residential and nursing homes.

If, following such review, it seems best to close a particular home, the interests of current residents should be protected in the following ways: options to be discussed with all residents who would be supported by information and people who would help them consider what is best for them; support those who do not want to move to stay for as long as possible in their current residential homes.

Supporting people who do not want to move would be costly - but costs could be minimised:

no major building works to be undertaken; staffing to be reduced; relatives and others in the local community asked to get involved and provide some services; resources of the building and of staff could be made differently available in the community.

Different solutions will be needed for different areas.

Older people think they are rarely asked about best services.

For research at Lancaster University older people have been a) trained to act as interviewers and b) been invited on to panels of older people in five different locations throughout the country (one based at Lancaster) which have met on five or six occasions to review the research.

A current course focuses on how older people can be involved in setting the agenda for research.

Some former students would be keen to be involved in surveying the services, housing stock and wishes of local people in different communities.

Older people are suspicious that even when they are consulted only lip service will be paid to their views.

Roger Clough

Professor of Social Care

Lancaster University.