CARE workers have hit back at claims changes being made to the home care service will not affect those who receive it or lead to large job losses.

The workers have criticised comments made by the interim director of Wiltshire County Council's Department of Adult and Community Services, Ian Davey, in last week's Wiltshire Times by contacting the paper this week.

Home care workers Bev Smythe, Margaret Sheldon and Wendy Johnston wrote: "We do not know of any person involved in the actual provision or receipt of care who is happy with this transfer of care.

"Mr Davey asks us to accept his assurance that changes in the home care service will not affect people who already receive the service but that is not what we hear.

"We regularly visit clients who are in tears over the change in their care."

The county council is to slash its home care workforce and transfer clients to private agencies instead, saving £357,000 a year.

Mr Davey, who is shortly to be replaced by former social worker Sue Redmond, had said: "The changes to the home care service will not affect people - it is simply a long overdue organisational change that will improve our service both in terms of efficiency and in value for money."

He also said the number of job losses needed, which we reported as 151, is expected to reduce over the coming year as people leave through retirement, redeployment and resignation.

The workers claim colleagues are being left feeling they have no option but to resign because of the changes to working hours and that they are being replaced by agency staff.

Opposition councillors at County Hall failed on Tuesday to block the home care shake-up. Labour councillor Margaret Taylor said: "All the cuts taking place in people's packages at the moment are to reduce the hours and by the time it's passed to the private agencies the service will be a travesty of what we have in place at the moment."

Yesterday, Mr Davey said the council was trying to be sensitive in its approach.

He said: "The changes we are implementing are long overdue and designed to improve the service in terms of efficiency and value for money.

"I fully appreciate that any period of change can be an anxious time for all those involved and I am concerned to hear that some clients feel we have not listened to them and kept them informed. I will arrange to meet with the home carers to discuss their concerns."