Ada Belfield Centre, built for £10M in Derbyshire, faces sale due to operating costs & changing care demand.
Conservative leaders will close beds at two more homes, the Staveley and Thomas Fields centers, which will only offer hospital step-down care. Staveley will lose sixteen residential beds, while Thomas Fields will lose ten. Public opposition was strong, and people called the move a “tragedy.”
The council previously closed eight homes last November, and some residents had already moved once due to prior closures. Ada Belfield won an award for its design in 2022, despite the council spending £10 million of public money to build it.
People submitted petitions with over 5,000 signatures, but the council now claims its operating costs are much higher than expected. The council thinks they can sell Ada Belfield easily and ensure uninterrupted care for the residents.
They haven’t said how much they expect to earn from the sale, but the center sits on a former factory site, and the library beside it will stay open. Two hundred fifty people marched in protest last January. The home can house forty people, and the council will advertise it for sale soon.
The sale period will last eight weeks, and if there are no buyers, residents must move. The council will help residents find new homes, but the buyer must have a good care rating and promise to let residents stay without increasing their costs. The buyer’s finances must also be sound. The council faces large budget cuts this year.
A council report says fewer people want traditional care, preferring to live at home longer, and those entering homes need more help now. Demand for residential care has decreased, and the changes will provide sustainable care.
The Thomas Fields site opened in 2018 and also cost £10 million. Other care homes in Heanor, Chapel, and Matlock can handle the changes. The changes will increase total staff across the three homes.
Some Ada Belfield staff may transfer to the new owner, while others might lose their jobs. A council member said they considered all feedback and understands this is a hard time for everyone. The library is not affected.
She says the council is adapting to changing needs to create sustainable care and will help more people live at home independently. Working with health partners is vital to helping people stay in their homes. There are benefits to single-model care regarding staffing and effectiveness, and the council aims to help those who need them most.