Agenda item

To receive a report of the Deputy Chief Executive report introducing a presentation made by the Deputy Director of Adult Social Care.

The Deputy Director of Adult Social Care, Dennis Holmes, presented the response from Adult Social Care to the Deputations brought to the previous North West (Outer) Area Committee with regard to the proposed closure of Manorfield House Residential Home, Horsforth.

Discussion ensued on the contents of the response from Adult Social Care, and the information provided by the participants of the Open Forum.

The list of alternative independent care facilities contained within the Adult Social Care response was discussed, with particular emphasis on the methodology used to determine the distances quoted within the response, the type of accommodation included in the list and the number of beds available today and in the future.

The bedroom sizes of Manorfield House Residential Home was discussed, with particular focus on the criteria used to determine their suitability now and in the future.

The figure of £384,000 for future maintenance works required at Manorfield House Residential home was discussed. The Area Committee was informed that this was an estimate, and whilst this alone would not decide whether the home was kept open or not, the point was made that Manorfield House Residential home is expensive to maintain, and in the current financial climate it may be better to allow the private care providers to bear the cost of maintaining accommodation rather than Leeds City Council paying to maintain older buildings which may not be fit for purpose under modern care methods.

The methods used to measure future demand for accommodation, together with the boundaries and criteria used were discussed. The Area Committee was informed that the address of the residents’ next of kin was used rather than that of the residents’ support network. Councillors suggested it might be preferable to use the address of the residents’ support network rather than that of their next of kin as this might be more relevant to the individual situation of the residents.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:

-  The financial pressures faced by Leeds City Council, now and in the future, and the need to make efficiencies where possible to ensure that services could be provided within the financial constraints while facing increased demand for services from Adult Social Care.

-  The views of the friends of Manorfield House Residential Home, and those of other deputations regarding other residential homes for whom consultation has taken place regarding possible closure, will be added to the consultation responses already received for evaluation prior to recommendations being prepared for consideration at the Council’s Executive Board on 4^th September 2013.

-  That Leeds City Council could not start approaching private care providers regarding the purchase of beds for residents of Manorfield House Residential Home or other homes for which consultation on closure had been carried out until a decision on their future had been made i.e. if they would be closed Leeds City Council would then approach alternative care providers to secure alternative accommodation for the residents of the homes affected.

-  Leeds City Council is a major purchaser of accommodation, therefore if alternative accommodation was required, the amount that Leeds City Council would be able to buy the accommodation for would be less than that quoted by the providers to individuals. The Deputy Director of Adult Social Care confirmed than Leeds City Council would fund the cost of the care for the residents affected by any Residential Home closures for life.

-  The Deputy Director of Adult Social Care reiterated that Adult Social Care was committed to ensuring that any residents affected by a Residential Home closure would not be forced to move to accommodation they did not wish to go to providing they were acting reasonably in considering other accommodation available.

-  Adult Social Care have successfully managed home closures in the past with residents being moved to alternative accommodation that was acceptable to them. The one case of court proceedings being used against a resident who did not wish to move was done with the support of the resident’s family, and was necessary to ensure the safety of the individual due to the nature of the building works at the Residential Home that they were resident of. The Deputy Director of Adult Social Care informed the Area Committee that the individual concerned was now happy and settled in new accommodation. The Deputy Director of Adult Social Care stated that Adult Social Care / Leeds City Council is a social care organisation with a duty of care towards it’s service users, and that it is not in the business of evicting residents of Residential Homes to places that they and their families do not want. If a resident was so frail that it was considered unsafe to move them then they wouldn’t be moved.

-  The Deputy Director of Adult Social Care gave an undertaking that Adult Social Care would seek to minimise the chances of residents having to move again in the future however this could not be guaranteed.

-  Specific information relating to the consultation process would be available as part of the report to be considered by the Executive Board on 4^th September 2013.

RESOLVED-

a). That Adult Social Care would provide the Area Committee with a weekly list of beds available in the Horsforth Area.

b). That Councillors requiring specific information in respect of this matter inform the Area Support Team in order to enable a list to be collated for Adult Social Care for response.

c). That the contents of the presentation be noted.