Press release Monday 23^rd May 2022

Title – Local Care Organisation Tapestry, asks newly elected councillors to champion ‘fair payment’ for its services

Tapestry has been providing health and wellbeing services and food to the most vulnerable people, and their Carers, in Havering since 1949

During the pandemic it used all its experience to support hundreds of vulnerable people in innovative ways, during the lockdown, and established a food delivery service that has delivered over 30,000 hot meals.

However, it is now facing the possibility of having to withdraw services in some parts of the borough, such as Harold Hill, because it believes it is not receiving a fair payment for its services.

Up until April 2022, Tapestry was still being paid for vital care and support services by Havering Council at rates that were set before the Pandemic in 2019.

Following a request made in July last year for a fair payment. they were notified, In March 2022, that from April 1^st 2022 they will receive an additional £2 per person (£3.6%) increase on 2019 prices for Care services and nothing for Transport.

In response Tapestry’s CEO Tony Lowe has written to every newly elected councillor to ask them to help by raising this issue with the Havering Commissioning Team and lobbying for a fair payment for its vital services.

Tony Lowe CEO of Havering says

“We completely understand the economic challenges facing the council post covid and during this cost-of-living crisis. This small increase we have been given will help of course, but not enough to secure our ability to continue to provide our vital support services in Havering.

Therefore sadly, to ensure that we retain a presence in Havering, we are having to contemplate some very difficult choices which will reduce our ability to help those we support currently.

As a result of this review, it is possible that we will be forced to withdraw services from parts of the borough, leaving many vulnerable people without access to the services we provide. This would be of course the last resort, as we only exist to support vulnerable people in Havering.

Tapestry is a not-for-profit Charity and Social Business. Meeting the real costs of providing daily support and services and ensuring all of the 600 plus people we support continue to receive our vital services would cost less than £40,000 this year and the money comes from individuals’ allocated personal budgets and VMA’s not a grant.

This would not just ensure continue to provide services, but enable us to consider expanding our services more widely across the borough to ensure that every vulnerable person in Havering can benefit from our support services.”

Thank you.

Details of how individuals and business can help Tapestry are available on www.tapestry-uk.org, by calling 01708 796600 or emailing [email protected]

Tapestry is a charity and social business that has provided person centred care and support to vulnerable and elderly adults in the community for over 70 years.