To consider the outcome of the consultation on the future of Greenacre Older Persons Home and Day Centre and to decide on the future of the home and the services within it.

1.      That the outcome of the consultations on the future of Greenacre Older Persons Home and Greenacre Day Centre be noted.

2.      That the closure of Greenacre Older Persons Home and cessation of services at Greenacre Day Centre, based on the matters set out in the report, its appendices and background papers, be approved.

3.      To authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to determine the date of closure of the Greenacre Older Persons Home, taking into consideration the assessed eligible care and support needs of residents of the home along with relevant operational matters.

4.      To authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to determine the date of cessation of the provision of service at Greenacre Day Centre, taking into consideration the assessed eligible care and support needs of the day centre users and their carers along with relevant operational matters.

5.      To authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to undertake the processes set out in paragraphs 89 to 91 in the report and to determine the location of the replacement day service.

6.      To authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to commence the processes, set out in paragraphs 92 to 95 in the report, to determine the future of the ‘Step Up  Step Down’ residential reablement service.

7.      That the commencement of the processes, set out in paragraphs 104 to 106 in the report, in relation to the staff employed at Greenacre Older Persons Home, Day Centre and ‘Step Up Step Down’ unit be approved.

Mr Hamilton, a member of the public whose mother-in-law was currently a resident at Greenacre, was invited to speak. He explained that he had wanted  his mother-in-law to be able to remain at Greenacre for the rest of her life. He had written to the Council raising a series of questions about the provider of Rosewood Court. In the event that the Council decided to proceed with Greenacre’s closure, he was concerned that this should not be until Rosewood Court was in a position to take Greenacre residents.

Mr Hamilton also commended the Council for the respect he had been afforded and the transparency of the process, and he expressed thanks for the time which his family  had been given to enable their involvement in discussions about this issue.

The Executive then considered a report from the Executive Member for Social Care and Housing that set out the outcome of the consultation on the future of Greenacre Older Persons’ Home and Day Centre.  Separate consultations had been carried out for the care home and the day centre as they served different customers, and the future options, which were also different.

It was noted that Greenacre Older Persons’ Home had small rooms with no en-suite facilities.  The Council had been offered places at Dukeminster Court, a newly built residential home, and also at Rosewood Court, a home with nursing care provision, due to open in March 2016. This would provide residents living in the care home with an opportunity to move to a better quality of accommodation.  Residents and families had been consulted and a  total of 26 responses had been received with half of the respondents supporting the preferred option to close the homes and re-locate current residents. 11 people disagreed with closure and 2 were neutral.

The consultation on the Greenacre Day Care Centre had been over five options with the opportunity to identify additional options.  Two of the options involved relocation of the service to Houghton Regis Day Centre.  Preference was indicated for  the service to be relocated to an alternative venue in Dunstable.  Officers would be investigating whether there was an alternative venue in Dunstable that would be appropriate.

No public consultation had been carried out in relation to the Step Up Step Down Unit as the nature of the service meant that it did not have any ongoing customers who would be affected by the proposals.

The Executive noted the individual risk assessments that had been carried out in relation to the relocation of residents and received assurance that the assessments had been carried out diligently and in consultation with other professionals such as residents’ GPs.

During discussion, it was reiterated that the Council was concerned to ensure that residents of care homes would not be asked to move more than once. Additionally, the Executive noted that the reason for seeking the delegation to the Director to determine the date of the proposed closure was to enable the best interests of residents to be accommodated. 

Reason for decision:  To enable the Council to improve the quality of accommodation for the current residents at Greenacre Older Persons’ Home and maintain an appropriate service for customers of the Greenacre Day Centre.

RESOLVED

1.      that the outcome of the consultations on the future of Greenacre Older Persons’ Home and Greenacre Day Centre be noted;

2.      that the closure of Greenacre Older Persons’ Home and cessation of services at Greenacre Day Centre based on matters set out in this report, its appendices and background papers, be approved;

3.      to authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to determine the date of closure of Greenacre Older Persons’ Home, taking into consideration the assessed eligible care and support needs of residents of the home along with relevant operational matters;

4.      to authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to determine the date of cessation of the provision of service at Greenacre Day Centre, taking into consideration the assessed eligible care and support needs of the day centre users and their carers along with relevant operational matters;

5.      to authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to undertake the processes set out in paragraphs 89 to 91 in the report and to determine the location of the replacement day service;

6.      to authorise the Director of Social Care, Health and Housing to commence the processes set out in paragraphs 92 to 95 in the report to determine the future of the ‘Step Up  Step Down’ residential reablement service; and

7.      that the commencement of the processes, set out in paragraphs 104 to 106 in the report, in relation to the staff employed at Greenacre Older Persons’ Home, Day Centre and ‘Step Up Step Down’ unit, be approved.