Decision No: CAB001 - 06/2009

Forward Plan No: AS03474

This record relates to A02 on the agenda for the Decision-Making

RECORD OF EXECUTIVE DECISION

01/06/2009  

DECISION-MAKER:

THE CABINET  

PORTFOLIO AREA:

Adult Social Care and Health  

SUBJECT:

Reconsider the decision to close Whitehaven Lodge and Birch Lawn Residential Homes to take account of new factors  

AUTHOR:

Jane Brentor  

THE DECISION

To approve the proposals / recommendations contained in the report without modification as set out below.
(i) To note the implications for residents involved in residential home closures identified in legal proceedings related to other recent home closures.

(ii) To acknowledge the audit of residents’ needs now undertaken and provided in appendix 2 to this report.

(iii) To determine that Birch Lawn and Whitehaven Residential Care Homes should be closed in the light of this information and requires the Executive Director of Communities, Health and Care to implement a closure plan for the two homes which takes full account of the needs of individual residents.  

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

1. The Council previously took a decision to close these care homes, which was subject to legal challenge. The view was taken that it would be appropriate for the Council to reconsider its decision in the light of a further period of investigation and consultation. In particular, it was considered that the Council should take steps to gain a better understanding of the risks to residents and the steps that will be taken to minimise such risks to health and life, if these were identified during assessment of individual residents.  

DETAILS OF ANY ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS

1. The merging of the two homes has been further considered and, although there would be an advantage in several of the residents moving together with known peers to a single new home, this advantage would be outweighed by the disadvantages set out here:
• There continues to be a local over-provision of residential care beds in the City. The City’s homes also have higher running costs than local competitors. With the introduction of ‘individual budgets’ for the funding of future care provision, users will be unlikely to consider the considerable extra costs will provide value for money for them. It would be irresponsible at this stage to move people into a merged home only for commercial pressures to mean this home would then also have to close at a later date.
• Increased financial commitment in the form of high maintenance costs and additional capital will add to these unit costs, again reducing the home’s viability. Whitehaven Lodge is the only one of the two homes that would accommodate a merger. However, the building requires considerable capital investment to prevent it from further physical deterioration.
The full staff teams of the two homes would not both be required to run a single home which would mean that either the residents from one of the homes would lose their known staff, or the staff of the merged home would be made up of some of the staff from each home, meaning that the residents from both homes would find themselves with different staff.

2. For these reasons, the merger of the two homes is not considered to be a viable option. Further, no other viable alternative to the closure of the two homes has been identified. Closure remains the preferred option, for the reasons given in the previous report to Cabinet dated 27th October, 2008 which is annexed to this report.  

OTHER RELEVANT MATTERS CONCERNING THE DECISION

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The decision-maker(s) did not declare a personal or prejudicial interest in the matters set out in the report  

CONFIRMED AS A TRUE RECORD:

We certify that the decision this document records was made in accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2000 and is a true and accurate record of that decision.

Date:

Decision Maker:

01/06/2009

The Cabinet

Proper Officer:

Judy Cordell

SCRUTINY

Note: This decision will come in to force at the expiry of 5 working days from the date of publication subject to any review under the Council's Scrutiny 'Call-In' provisions.

Call-In Period

02 June 2009 to 09 June 2009

Date of Call-in (if applicable) (this suspends implementation)

Call-in Procedure completed (if applicable)

Call-in heard by (if applicable)

Results of Call-in (if applicable)