Cabinet approves care homes recommendations
Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet have approved proposals regarding residential care homes for older people following an in depth consultation with residents and their families.
A five month consultation regarding the council’s ten residential care homes was held as part of a wider strategy to modernise services so that older people can live more independently in the future. Reduced demand, as more people choose to live in their own homes for as long as possible, and high running costs of 40% more than the independent sector contributed to a major review of Warwickshire’s local authority care home provision.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Portfolio Holder for Adult, Health and Community Services, said: “As we face significant budgetary pressures, we have to take a serious look at our adult social care model to meet the expectations of our older population in the 21st Century. People tell us that they want more choice and we need to provide flexible, modern services that offer a wider number of vulnerable people independence and quality of life. The costs of our internal provision are unsustainable, especially when quality services can be provided more efficiently in the external market.”
After careful consideration of the consultation results and an extensive analysis report, cabinet members have approved the closure of two care homes, Abbotsbury in Rugby and Mayfield in Bedworth, while a procurement process will take place to invite expressions of interest in sale, joint venture or social enterprise in the remaining eight homes.
Over the next six months officers will commence a closure plan for Mayfield and Abbotsbury which will involve working closely with residents and their families to transfer to alternative private sector homes or extra care housing where appropriate. The council has guaranteed that it will continue to pay for residential beds for those who are eligible and that current fee paying customers will not face higher charges when they move.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Portfolio Holder for Adult, Health and Community Services, said: "We fully understand that our care home residents will be concerned and the transition process will be managed sensitively and carefully. The welfare and care needs of residents will be paramount during this process."
Demand for places at Mayfield has declined over the past few years and in early 2010, the ground floor of the home was closed due to low occupancy (of only 42%). The high cost of running the home, along with strong availability of alternative places in the local area, has placed Mayfield as the first home identified for closure.
Abbotsbury has been identified as the second home proposed for closure as there are a number of opportunities to re-provide residential places in care homes in the local area in addition to a new extra care housing scheme opening in April 2011. Abbotsbury also has low long-term occupancy levels as the majority of places are used for short-term placements and assessment. As well as supporting long-term residents, council staff will review services for eligible day care and respite customers to ensure that they, and their carers, are helped with efficient alternative provision.
For the remaining eight homes, the following recommendations will be explored by officers over the next six months:
a) selling the care homes as “going concerns” to the independent sector
b) setting up a joint venture company between the council and an independent provider to operate the care homes
c) social enterprise or local community co-operatives running care homes
d) looking at the potential to work with health on a new joint solution for provision in Shipston
Wendy Fabbro, Strategic Director of Adult, Heath and Community Services, said: “In exploring these options, the safety and wellbeing of our customers will be our primary focus. Running a care home is a professional task, and is not something that private or voluntary bodies can assume without very detailed and careful planning and understanding. We are responsible for commissioning quality care that can meet assessed needs, and we would work with any willing provider who is able to deliver quality at good value for money.”
Background
The vast majority of care homes in Warwickshire are provided by the independent sector which is in line with the national trend where in-house care homes represent less than 10% of the market – a figure which continues to fall.
Warwickshire County Council runs ten residential homes, most of which were constructed more than 30 years ago. Since the care homes were built, there has been a major shift in the way that older people choose to live in later life with the vast majority wanting to live in their own homes for as long as possible.
The council has already been working with partners to develop extra care housing schemes where older people have the privacy of their own apartment but with the option of 24 hour care, and communal facilities, as and when required.
The council is also developing a number of its home-based services including telecare (i.e. using assistive technology to maintain people in their own homes or a home environment), adaptations which are improvements to existing homes such as installing ramps etc, and the use of reablement (or recovery) services which help older people to regain their independence in their own homes after an illness or a hospital stay to minimise the need for intensive long-term and residential care.