Jobs axed as social care firm shuts

Women in top jobs in Lancashire including council and business, talk about their lives to schoolgirls from several schools at a special event at Preston Minster. Jennifer Mein Leader of Lancashire County Council. Picture by Paul Heyes, Wednesday May 25, 2016.

Lancashire Workforce Development Partnership Limited (LWDP), a company owned by Lancashire County Council stopped trading this week, 11 years after it was set up to support workforce development activities in the social care sector.

The decision to cease funding for Bamber Bridge-based LWDP was agreed by full council earlier this year as part of £85m savings.

Coun Jenny Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “LWDP has contributed significantly to improving the quality of social care for many people across the county, through its training and workforce development activities.

“However, current social care market conditions mean we have to prioritise different types of training provision.

“This has been a difficult decision to make, and I am very sympathetic to those people who will be made redundant.

“Winding the company up will enable us to recover around £750,000 from its reserves and spend the money directly to provide training for the social care sector.”

Lesley Bamber, chief executive of Lancashire Workforce Development Partnership, said: “This has been a very sad process for everyone involved in the partnership, and while I do not agree with the decision, I do understand the county council’s decision.

“I am very proud of all of the staff who have contributed to our work over the years and of the difference we have made to improving standards of care for some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such committed and talented people and wish them all the very best in their future careers.”