Derbyshire council’s controversial decision to sell eight care homes is upheld despite opposition

Opposition councillors’ efforts to force Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet to reconsider its controversial plans to close and sell eight care homes and close five day care centres have been rejected.

A scrutiny committee at the Conservative-controlled council dismissed opposition councillors’ arguments at a meeting on December 2  that the Cabinet had breached decision-making principles in its agreement to cease to operate and offer for sale eight of its care homes and to close five of its day centres for the elderly.

The council’s Labour Group Leader Joan Dixon and other councillors had ‘called-in’ and challenged the decision and its report on a number of grounds including a lack of detail on any estimated savings or subsequent knock-on expenditures in the hope the decision would be reconsidered by Cabinet or at a Full Council meeting.

Labour Group Deputy Leader Ruth George told the scrutiny meeting: “This report is unclear how much will be saved and there is no detail and it lacks clarity whether it will make any savings.

“Also, the additional costs of private sector care is not stipulated nor does it take account of rising costs of private cost care beds that the council incurs when the council exits the market.”

Cllr George added where there are no council-run care homes the private sector sees a ‘green light’ to increase fees and residents will also be forced to travel further afield to find a care home.

She also argued there will be an increasing demand for long term residential care with an increasing ageing population and dramatically increasing cases of dementia.

The eight care homes the Cabinet has agreed to stop operating and to sell include: Briar Close, at Borrowash; Castle Court, at Swadlincote; The Grange, at Eckington; Lacemaker Court, at Long Eaton; The Leys, at  Ashbourne; New Bassett House, at Shirebrook; Rowthorne, at Swanwick; And Thomas Colledge House, at Bolsover.    

Bennerley Fields care home, at Ilkeston, will also no longer operate as a residential care home but it will be re-purposed to be used exclusively for community support beds for short-term ‘reablement’ and assessment.  

The Cabinet also agreed to close five day centres for the elderly including Blackwell Day Centre, at Blackwell; Fabrick Day Services, at Hilton; Jubilee Centre, at New Mills; Queens Court, at Buxton; And Valley View Day Centre, at Bolsover.     

Labour councillors Joan Dixon, Ruth George, Anne Clarke, and Ron Mihaly, Liberal Democrat councillors Ed Fordham and Sue Burfoot, and Green Party councillor Gez Kinsella all ‘called-in’ the Cabinet’s decision to be considered by the scrutiny committee meeting.   

The opposition councillors argued net savings have not been stipulated and that there is no account or consideration of possible subsequent increases in expenditure from the cutbacks.  

They also argued the decision will have a detrimental effect on some of the most vulnerable, that it does not take into account an increasing older population, an increasing demand for residential care, and there was no opportunity for scrutiny before the decision.  

Cllr Barry Bingham, who also signed the ‘call-in’, told the meeting he was concerned about elderly residents having to be moved away from family and friends to alternative care homes and he described care homes as ‘life-saving establishments’ that are needed.  

Cllr Clarke argued the loss of day centres could increase the need for more residential and specialist care and she believes this issue has not been sufficiently explored.  

And Cllr Kinsella claimed there has been no detailed cost benefit analysis or consideration of the subsequent expenditure and costs and he fears the decision will have a ‘detrimental’ effect on people and that there is strong argument to retain the services under council control.  

Cllr Fordham also argued that people are saying they are scared for relatives and friends and that the council is breaking its pledge to residents and families.  

Labour Cllr Chrsitine Dale said: “I am concerned we are going to increase the financial costs on this council because we have not had full information on the figures. We need transparency. We need to understand what’s happening and we are not being given sufficient information.” 

UNISON union campaigners and Derbyshire Labour MPs have also expressed their opposition to the council plans to sell eight care homes and close five day centres.

Cabinet member for Adult Care, Natalie Hoy, told the meeting that Derbyshire County Council is currently one of largest providers of residential care in the country and this why it is essential to redesign the service and support people in the most sustainable way.  

Cllr Hoy argued there is a continued decline of Derbyshire people going into residential care with more people wanting to live at home for as long as possible but assurances have been given that long-term residents can continue to stay at a home with no costs to themselves.  

She added: “I feel confident the areas raised in this calling-in we have actively addressed in the Cabinet report and we have already reiterated this calling has no grounds.”  

The council is currently addressing overall saving proposals to manage a budget deficit of over £39m for the 2024/25 financial year after blaming reduced Government funding, the impact from the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation rates, higher prices for fuel, energy and materials, rising costs, meeting the cost of the national pay award and the growing demand for adults’ and children’s social care services.   

It claims the changes to its care services support the council’s intention to create a sustainable service focusing on specialist services for people with dementia and their carers, offering long-term residential care and flexible day and overnight breaks to support carers.     

The council also claims the changes will allow for greater integration with health partners to provide short-term support and assessment services to help timely discharges from hospital, prevent unplanned hospital admissions and reduce the risk of readmission helping people stay at home.     

But Cllr Philip Rose, of Reform UK, said: “I do believe there has been a breach. This is about saving money now but no one is taking into account what will happen in three or four years from now.”   

However, the scrutiny committee voted by a majority that there had been no breach in the Cabinet’s decision making principles in its agreement to close and sell eight care homes and close five day care centres.  

Following the vote, Committee chairperson, Cllr Kewal Singh Athwal, agreed with and confirmed the committee’s finding and decision that there has been no breach in the Cabinet’s decision making principles.  

Cllr Athwal said he understood that the subject is emotive and difficult but he is convinced that the Cabinet and officers had shown due diligence and they had considered alternatives and the costs and benefits.  

He added: “Being a responsible authority we need to make responsible decisions based on the impact it will have on our residents.”  

Derbyshire residents have now been invited to have their say on how the remaining adult care services could be run in the future following the redesign decision.  

The council has agreed to consult upon proposed changes to its remaining residential care homes in a move towards ‘a single operating model of care’ with four homes operating as specialist dementia care homes including: Florence Shipley, at Heanor; Whitestones, at Chapel-en-le-Frith; Meadow View, at Matlock; and Oaklands, at Swadlincote, with all except Whitestones having an integrated day centre.      

Another option under consideration is for two homes to operate as specialist dementia care homes including Florence Shipley and Whitestones with Meadow View and Oaklands adopting a mixed care model.  

Under both options, the council has stated that it would cease to operate long-term residential and respite care at Ada Belfield, The Staveley Centre and Thomas Fields.   

However, under its preferred option, Staveley and Thomas Fields would be re-purposed, alongside Bennerley, for hospital discharge beds to support the health and care system.  

Cllr Hoy said: “Ensuring we have the right support for those who need us most is a priority for the council and by redesigning our directly provided care services we can create a sustainable service to meet the needs of our residents.   

“Our aim is to focus our in-house services on creating wraparound care for the growing number of people with dementia and their carers, including long-term specialist dementia care coupled with respite day and night breaks.   

“As part of this, we will continue to run six day centres, including three in the community.”