Clause 31
1:15 pm
Paul Rowen (Rochdale, Liberal Democrat)
I support the amendment. We have talked a great deal about the provision of quality services and how some things are not appropriate for everyone, which will always remain the case. However, pilots provide the Government with a unique opportunity to trial various models of operation, which, in our view, might include some independent support to enable the transition. I very much hope that the Government will look at different models when they design the pilots.
There is an officer in Rochdale who is employed by Manchester and Rochdale councils jointly. His job is to get direct payments out to people, and he spends a great deal of his time advising and supporting individuals. An alternative appropriate model might involve voluntary organisations. In some towns, there are many groups that might take on such work collectively. If something like that could be included in the pilots, it would go a long way towards ensuring that this initiative will be the success that we all want it to be.