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Govern Balear cuts Formentera Day Centre financing back from 80% to 34%

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The councilor of Social Welfare, Youth and Equality of the Formentera Island Council, Dolores Fernández, received a visit this morning from the Govern Balear's councilor of Family and Social Services, Sandra Fernández. The motive of Fernández's trip to the island included a visit to the Day Centre and a discussion of operations at the facility for dependent individuals.

On their visit, the two councilors were accompanied by centre director Carmel Redondo; director of Fundació d'Atenció a la Dependència Javier Ureña; technical director of Formentera's Office of Social Welfare Pere Serra and the Govern Balear's Formentera delegate, José Alcaraz. Having wrapped up the day's visit of the centre, an additional meeting was held with Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer.

Unfortunately, the discussion of the current year's financing for the Formentera Day Centre revealed the Autonomous Community's decision to reduce its participation in maintenance and operations, from a previous 80% of costs down to 34%. This reduction is due to the fact that the new pay system adopted by the Govern does not take into account the singularity of Formentera, establishing instead a set of rates that is uniform for all four of the Balearic Islands.

The councilor of Family, Sandra Fernández, reported that the Govern had for some time been obliged by financial motives to undertake a study of prices and available places, not only for dependent individuals but also for those living with disabilities. Looking ahead to the accord's next expiration and anticipated signature in 2014, the Govern did, nevertheless, commit to taking into account the special nature of circumstances at play on Formentera and at the day centre.

The financial sum of the accord was determined based on the number of dependent individuals at the centre, which in the case of Formentera total 20; 13 of whom are elderly individuals and 7 of whom are in situations of disability. The Formentera Day Centre has a capacity of up to 45 dependent persons.

Adults that meet the standards of a grade 2 dependency, as well as adults meeting the standards of a grade 3 dependency at levels 1 and 2, can be accepted for admission as dependent individuals. If already receiving day centre treatment, admission can also be granted on the basis of dependency if an adult meets the standards of grade 1 level 2 dependency.

Costs for 2013, with services and dependency levels as established by Law 39/2006 [14 December], are as follows:

- Adults in situations of dependency receiving treatment at the day centre:

Grade 3: 41.72€/day;

Grade 2: 36.29€/day;

Grade 1: 33.37€/day.

News of this change was lamented by the Office of Social Welfare of Formentera, especially since the centre had managed to provide services at the same costs as other centres despite being an independent facility. The Formentera Council must now assume 60% of Day Centre costs, an enormous weight to bear for our local institution, especially considering the extremely elevated debt that our Council must also shoulder with respect to the Govern.

The particular characteristics here on Formentera led to the centre's being conceived for treatment of the three most vulnerable and underprotected groups of individuals on the island, to wit: dependent adults; persons with special needs of some sort; and persons with mental disorders. This being the case, the day centre in reality includes within its walls three different facilities, an important fact to note when considering financing for the centre. This year's accord failed to take note of this situation, resulting in a promise of assistance that only reached 207,000€ compared to 502,000€ last year.