Raphael Silver, senior partner at Silver Fitzgerald and member of theLaw Society's Children Panel, told CYP Now that providers need to bandtogether to stand up to councils that are increasingly pooling budgetsand working with neighbouring authorities to buy services morecheaply.
"There is an overwhelming imbalance in bargaining positions betweenproviders and local authorities working together, such as the pan-Londongroup of councils and the West Midlands consortia. If providers don'tclub together, they won't have the bargaining power to say no to pricereductions."
Silver added that providers would be more likely to maintain currentstandards in care homes by negotiating as one. "It's really tough todeliver quality of care with less money," he said. "If people do notband together, they can be treated with indifference."
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