Protesters condemn decision to close seven care homes and four days centres across Derbyshire

Derbyshire council’s cabinet has agreed to introduce a raft of cutbacks and money-saving changes in four key areas involving care home closures, cuts to learning disability services, community group funding, and tighter criteria for home support eligibility.

The Conservative-led council agreed at a cabinet meeting today (Thursday, November 14), to approve the redesign of elderly care services with the closure of eight care homes and five day centres for the elderly under refreshed proposals after studying the public reaction.

Following further consultations, the cabinet also approved discontinuing four Day Opportunity Centres and four Short Break Residential Units for adults with learning disabilities and or autism, and to withdraw Discretionary Grant Funding for 50 voluntary and community groups, and to introduce tighter eligibility criteria for its Derbyshire Healthy Homes Project service.

Original plans

In original plans the council had earmarked 11 care homes for possible closure including: Briar Close, Borrowash; Bennerley Fields, Ilkeston; Castle Court, Swadlincote; Florence Shipley, Heanor; The Grange, Eckington; Lacemaker Court, Long Eaton; The Leys, Ashbourne; New Bassett House, Shirebrook; Rowthorne, Swanwick; Thomas Colledge House, Bolsover; And Whitestones, at Chapel-en-le-Frith.

But the council has now agreed to cease to operate and offer for sale eight care homes including: Briar Close, Castle Court, The Grange, Lacemaker Court, The Leys, New Bassett House, Rowthorne, Thomas Colledge.

And Bennerley will no longer operate as a residential care home and will be repurposed to be used exclusively for community support beds for short-term ‘reablement’ and assessment.

Further public consultations

The council has also stated it is proposing further public consultations on 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, Whitestones, Matlock’s Meadow View, and Swadlincotes’ Oaklands, 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.

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

It has also agreed that three day centres originally considered for closure will remain open including: Eccles Fold, at Chapel en-le-Frith; Hasland Resource Centre, in Chesterfield; and Shirevale, in Shirebrook.

Substantial service

The council claims the changes 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.

It 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.

UNISON campaigners had called for the council to abandon adult social care saving plans and Derbyshire Labour MPs also met with council leader, Cllr Barry Lewis, to express their concerns and opposition to the plans to close care homes and elderly day centres.

During considerations, the council also rejected a call from opposition Labour Group councillors, including Labour Group Leader Cllr Joan Dixon, to further investigate subsequent long-term care costs before deciding on the proposed closures.

Cllr Dixon has said the impact of the cuts will be ‘devastating’ and she claims the Conservative-led council’s financial management is to blame for the situation.

However, the council which is addressing saving proposals to manage a budget deficit of over £39m for the 2024/25 financial year is 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.

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