Agenda item

To seek Cabinet approval to close Southfield Care Home, Stroud and Wyatt House Care Home, Stroud and to consult with residents and their families on the impact of the closures.

Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, (Commissioning), sought approval for the proposed closures of Southfield House Care Home, Stroud, and Wyatt House Care Home, Stroud and to undertake consultation on the impact of the closures.  

Having considered all of the information, including known proposals, alternative options and reasons for recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the closure of Southfield House Care Home, Stroud.

2.    Agree that any capital receipts arising from the disposal of Southfield House Care Home will be ring-fenced for future developments for older people in the County.

3.    Delegate authority to the Director of Integration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning, to:  

i)             Consult with residents and families of Southfield House Care Home on the impact of and arrangements for the closure of the care home.

ii)            Facilitate moving the residents to an alternative care home that will meets their needs.

4.    Approve the closure of Wyatt House Care Home.

5.    Agree that any capital receipts arising from the disposal of the properties will be ring-fenced for future developments for older people in the County.

6.    Delegate authority to the Director of Integration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning to:  

i)             Consult with residents and their families of Wyatt House on the impact of and arrangements for the closure of the care home.

ii)            Facilitate moving the residents to an alternative care home that will meet their needs.

Cllr Roger Wilson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, (Commissioning), gave a detailed account of the background and proposals relating to the proposed closures of Southfield House Care Home, Stroud, and Wyatt House Care Home, Stroud. In presenting the report, Cllr Wilson sought approval to undertake consultation on the impact of the closures. 

Cllr Wilson expressed the difficultly in making this decision, particularly in relation to the impact the decision would have on residents, families and staff at the two care homes. Noting the exceptional care and competency provided by the staff at the care homes, Cllr Wilson acknowledged the care homes not only provided care to the residents, but also represented their homes.

Cllr Wilson reported that, sadly, on the advice of The Orders of St John Care Trust, (the charity organisation running the care homes), both properties had been identified as unfit for purpose for the future. As a result of changing demands for care, the two properties were unable to attract sufficient  self-funding residents and were therefore struggling to maintain full occupancy.

Furthermore, the cost of making improvements to upgrade the properties was considered too expensive, and even then, would not reach the high standard of care deemed appropriate for Gloucestershire in 2019.

Cllr Wilson confirmed he had visited both care homes and had spoken to staff and to residents. He was also aware of several other members, (from a range of political parties), who had visited the properties and expressed his appreciation for the diligence that was being attributed to this sensitive issue.

Reporting on some of the features of the properties that had identified the care homes as being unsuitable for future use, (single double-glazing/poor 1970’s insulation),  Cllr Wilson also referred to the out-dated design of the properties, expressing concern about the absence of en-suite facilities; the inappropriate size of bedrooms and corridors; and the inaccessible gardens, (although beautiful and well maintained), but without access for wheel chair users or residents with limited mobility.

Cllr Wilson recalled the cabinet decision taken on 19 June 2019, seeking approval of the Strategy for the Commissioning of Residential and Nursing Care Provision, where, under the requirements of the Care Act 2014, and in conjunction with the NHS, the Council was made accountable of the duty to provide the best and most suitable accommodation for elderly and vulnerable residents. In Gloucestershire, this decision had been against a backdrop of falling demand for residential care placements as more people remain in their homes for longer , rather than being admitted to care.

Responding to the question of why the decision to close the care homes needed to be taken at this time, and why it was not possible to allow the homes to remain open for existing residents, it was explained that the issue of retaining staff and providing quality care when the future of a care home is under question becomes much more challenging.

Acknowledging the impact on staff at the care homes and the inevitability of staff leaving to seek stable employment, Cllr Wilson referred to the difficulties of maintaining good quality care at the care homes during periods of instability, followed by the high cost of employing agency staff, and stated that keeping the care homes open was not an option he was able to support.

Responding to questions on lessons learnt from the closures of care homes the previous year, Cllr Wilson informed members that, providing dedicated social worker support to support residents and their families had worked well. Combined with senior officer advice and leadership, the same level of support would be provided. Cllr Wilson assured members it was his primary intention to safeguard the welfare of the residents, their families and the staff at the care homes.

Having read the many representations of those affected by the decision and reporting that cabinet colleagues had been made aware of the comments and concerns, Cllr Wilson confirmed full consultation, (over a three month period prior to closure), would be undertaken involving all residents, families and staff, with each resident being offered the individual services of a social worker. The role of the social worker would be to minimise the potential disruption to the lives of those affected by the decision and to ensure the most suitable alternative accommodation was offered to the resident.

Cllr Wilson gave his assurance no council funded resident would lose out financially from the closures. Reinforcing his earlier statement that the welfare of residents, families and staff was his primary concern, he reported that, over the course of the past few months, time had been spent with each of the affected groups, and that he had engaged in discussions with local elected members and with The Orders of the St John Care Trust on making the transfer to new homes as smooth as possible. Clarifying that he and fellow Adult Social Care Cabinet Member, Cllr Kathy Williams, were committed to ensuring a successful transfer process, Cllr Wilson said he would do everything possible to maximise the wellbeing of residents.

Responding to questions, Cllr Wilson, gave detailed explanations on why the decision had been taken now, (rather than in the winter months), and how staff would be given assistance to seek alternative employment and in considering redundancy options.

Cllr Wilson agreed it was unusual to ring fence financial receipts from disposal of the care homes but  would be open to all suggestions, including those from local members and MP’s. Discussions with Stroud District Council had been held, where a range of options on how the financial credits could be used had been considered.

Explaining why the outdated properties were no longer suitable for providing high quality care to residents, Cllr Wilson elaborated on the amenities offered by 4 new care homes invested in by The Orders of the St John Care Trust. He also explained some of the fundamentals in seeking a balance in funding from self funding and council funded residents and why it was important to maximise occupancy levels of self funding residents to achieve the balance.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, acknowledged that the Adult Joint Commissioning Strategy for Services for Older People published in 2007 was now 12 years old and that the demands on care homes had significantly changed since this time. The Leader confirmed consultation would be undertaken to ensure each person received the same level of care.

Cllr Wilson reflected on the huge amount of work that had been undertaken in reaching this decision and thanked all those involved, including residents and staff.

Having considered all of the information, including the due regard statement, representations, known proposals, alternative options and the reasons for the recommendations, Cabinet noted the report and,

RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the closure of Southfield House Care Home, Stroud.

2.    Agree that any capital receipts arising from the disposal of Southfield House Care Home will be ring-fenced for future developments for older people in the County.

3.    Delegate authority to the Director of Integration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning, to:  

i)             Consult with residents and families of Southfield House Care Home on the impact of and arrangements for the closure of the care home.

ii)            Facilitate moving the residents to an alternative care home that will meets their needs.

4.    Approve the closure of Wyatt House Care Home.

5.    Agree that any capital receipts arising from the disposal of the properties will be ring-fenced for future developments for older people in the County.

6.    Delegate authority to the Director of Integration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Commissioning to:  

i)             Consult with residents and their families of Wyatt House on the impact of and arrangements for the closure of the care home.

ii)            Facilitate moving the residents to an alternative care home that will meet their needs.