Derbyshire council considers selling a care home and converting others sparking a protest over the proposals.
The council is Conservative-led. Ada Belfield may be sold openly, while the Staveley Centre and Thomas Fields may change their focus. They would then prioritize rehab instead of long-term care.
The council plans to refocus adult care services due to a large budget deficit. They aim to support more dementia patients and help people stay home. To this end, eight homes were already sold, and five elderly day centers closed.
Belper Together opposes the Ada Belfield plans. They previously held a march and launched a petition that over 5,000 people signed. They will protest at County Hall in Matlock midday, February 20th, when a Cabinet meeting decides the care homes’ future.
Cllr Gez Kinsella is concerned and questions Ada Belfield’s potential sale. He also expresses doubt about the consultation process, citing issues with survey access and time constraints. Furthermore, he notes a lack of face-to-face meetings and says that alternative solutions were ignored.
Belper Together claims the council ignored the town. They point out that most respondents to the consultation disagreed with the proposals. Petitioners include one in four Belper residents.
The council suggests selling Ada Belfield through the open market, which could take up to eight weeks. Long-term care would then cease at Staveley and Thomas Fields, transforming these into rehab-only facilities.
The council aims for closer collaboration with health partners, possibly forming a legal agreement under Section 75 to improve future coordination.
The council considered specializing other homes. Florence Shipley, Meadow View, and Oaklands might focus on dementia care, potentially joined by Whitestones, but without a day center. Conversely, only Florence Shipley and Whitestones might specialize, with Meadow View and Oaklands using mixed care models.
Bennerley Fields may remain residential or join Staveley and Thomas Fields. The goal is to increase hospital discharge beds to support the wider health system.
Mid-Derbyshire’s MP and a doctor are worried, particularly about Ada Belfield’s future. They are also concerned about losing Ada Belfield’s rehab service and question the consultation’s thoroughness and NHS collaboration.
The council aims to fill a care gap by supporting dementia patients, their carers, and hospital discharges, facilitating people living independently at home.
The council plans short-term assessment and reablement care, aiming for an efficient service that adapts to changing demands through closer work with the NHS.
The council has 78 community support beds across five care homes, housing both long-term residents and those needing these specific support beds.
The council states that the changes would result in 92 beds, spread across three support-only locations, offering a better county-wide distribution.
The council says traditional care demand is down, while dementia care demand is rising. Consequently, changes involve providing “wraparound care” for both dementia patients and their carers.
The council plans specialist dementia care, including day and night respite breaks, maintaining six day centers. The planned changes will shift current mixed-model care to single-model care.
Cllr Natalie Hoy notes that changes in demand drive the proposals. She notes more people wish to stay home longer, decreasing traditional care demand, while specialized care demand increases, including nursing care requiring a different provider.
“Complex needs often accompany aging,” says Hoy, highlighting dementia. Therefore, services must adapt to support these more complex needs.
She explains that the council aims to help people live at home by supporting hospital discharge and preventing unnecessary hospital admissions. The council also aims to improve wraparound services, including overnight and day respite care, to support carers.
Ada Belfield opened four years prior, costing over £11 million. Currently, forty residents live there. Conservatives say that the care home has projected losses estimated at over £2 million, carefully considering selling the care home. Moreover, they promise an “uninterrupted continuum of care” throughout the sale process.
Belper Town Council will lobby strongly to retain the facility, viewing it as a vital asset greatly benefiting Belper and its residents.
The council claims that the adjacent library is unaffected by planned changes.
Belper Together wants to delay the plans, hoping for council elections soon. They intend to register the library as a community asset and are considering legal action, specifically a “Judicial Review.”
Labour, Green, and Lib Dem councillors also aim to intervene through Belper Together, planning for a scrutiny committee to consider the final decision.
These three parties previously opposed closures of eight care homes and five day centers, also previously supported by UNISON.
Belper Together’s Keith Venables criticized council finances, alleging bad investment choices.
The council claims that external factors, such as reduced funding, Covid-19 effects, inflation, higher prices, national pay demands, and social care demands, caused the deficit.
Cllr Hoy reiterated that all feedback is getting considered and stressed increasing financial pressures.
She said their goal is to adapt to changes, building a sustainable care model to support more Derbyshire residents, allowing them to live at home.
“Closer work with health partners is vital” to support the entire system and help more people stay home. Single-model care also has staffing benefits and will be more effective.
According to Hoy, a new care model offers benefits and addresses the needs of those who need help most.
The council considered responses to two public consultations. The first focused on changes for three care homes, while the second covered closer work with health partners.
Almost 800 people gave feedback about future changes involving Ada Belfield, Staveley Centre, and Thomas Fields, and the council received petitions concerning them. Meanwhile, over 350 responses supported integration with the NHS.
Cllr Natalie Hoy acknowledges this difficult time saying that “Residents’ health remains the top priority.” She added they will support families throughout this change.
Also, Hoy assured Belper: “The library will not be affected.”