Decision details

Outcome of consultation and recommendations for redesign of services for older adults.

RESOLVED to:

1.     Note the intention of the Council to focus its directly provided services upon providing specialist long term care, flexible day and overnight breaks for people with dementia and their carers, in addition to well-integrated short-term assessment and reablement services, to avoid hospital admission and maximise flow through hospitals;

2.     Approve the cessation of long term and respite care at the following residential care homes: Briar Close, Castle Court, The Grange, Lacemaker Court (including an integrated day centre), The Leys, New Bassett House, Rowthorne and Thomas Colledge in accordance with the following process:

1.      the homes listed be offered for sale to the open market as a going concern for a period of up to eight weeks;

2.      where the Council received offers for any of the care homes, authority was delegated to the Executive Director for Adult Social Care, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Director of Property, who would determine whether the criteria set out at paragraph 4.8.4 of the report had been met;

3.      where a determination was made that the criteria had been met, the option of selling the homes as going concerns, authority be delegated to the Director of Property to pursue and make arrangements for sale, should the value exceed £500,000;

4.      if a sale fell through, the current residents be supported to find reasonable and suitable alternative accommodation; and steps (e), (f) and (g) below would be followed;

5.      where a determination was made by the Executive Director for Adult Social Care, in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Director of Property, that the criteria set out at paragraph 4.8.4 were not met, the current residents be supported to find reasonable and suitable alternative accommodation and the care home would permanently close;

6.        before proceeding with the permanent closure of any of the homes, the Council would ensure that reasonable and suitable alternative arrangements had been made for all of the long-term residents at each of the homes which met the Council’s duties under the Care Act 2014 and any other relevant legislation or guidance;

7.      once any care home was permanently closed, the outcomes for the buildings were considered and implemented by Property Services as business as usual in accordance with the Council’s scheme of delegation. The Director of Property, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, should be able to dispose of the property where the value exceeded £500,000.

3.     Approve the cessation of long term and respite care at Bennerley Fields, enabling the repurposing of the entire building for the provision of community support beds, on the basis that the Council would ensure that reasonable and suitable alternative arrangements had been made for all of the residents currently living at Bennerley Fields which met the Council’s duties under the Care Act 2014 and any other relevant legislation or guidance;

4.     Approve the permanent closure of the following day centres for older people: Blackwell Day Centre, Fabrick Day Services, Jubilee Centre, Queens Court and Valley View Day Centre on the basis that before proceeding with the permanent closure of any Day Centre alternative offers of support had been made to people currently using the services in accordance with the Council’s obligations under the Care Act and any other relevant legislation or guidance;

5.     Approve that once day centres were closed, the outcomes for the buildings were considered and implemented by Property Services as business as usual in accordance with the Council’s scheme of delegation. The Director of Property, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, would be able to dispose of the property where the value exceeded £500,000. Should the buildings be leased by the Council, the Director of Property, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, would be able to dispose of the leasehold interest should the value of the interest being surrendered was over £100,000;

6.     Note that a formal consultation with staff and trade unions representing staff affected by any closures would commence and every effort would be made to assist employees in seeking suitable alternative roles to minimise the number of redundancies;

7.     Approve the required program of consultation for a period of 6 weeks to explore entering into a Section 75 Agreement with Derbyshire Community Health Services, an NHS Foundation Trust, to jointly deliver a range of reablement services aimed at helping people remain independent at home for as long as possible;

8.     Note that Cabinet would receive a further report following the conclusion of the consultation process, including an Equality Impact Analysis;

9.     Approve the program of consultation for a period of 6 weeks on the two proposed options set out at Appendix 7 concerning the delivery of care provided at Ada Belfield, the Staveley Centre and Thomas Fields; and

10.    Note that Cabinet would receive a further report following the conclusion of the consultation process, including an Equality Impact Analysis.