Scrutiny panel to have its say on proposals for care homes future

A SCRUTINY panel will have its say on proposals for an outside operator to build and run two new care homes for the elderly in Yate and Kingswood instead of South Gloucestershire Council.

A programme launched by the council last year will replace its eight residential homes with 700 extra-care flats for those who want to live as independently as possible and two new residential homes for those unable to do so.

The first of the old homes – The Chase in Kingswood – closed last month, with Frome House in Yate next on the list.

They are closing first because the replacement 55-bedroom homes will be built on land they currently occupy.

But a row has erupted over a recommendation for a charity, not-for-profit body or a commercial organisation to build and run them.

Woodstock Labour councillor Andy Perkins is chairman of the community care and housing select committee that will be presented with a report on the programme today.

Mr Perkins claimed consultation with existing residents and their families was centred on the council building and operating the new care homes itself.

He said: “Support was given on that basis but now we are being asked to look at an option of them being procured through an external provider.”

But Peter Murphy, director of community care and housing, said in the report: “The option of building and running these two new homes as a partnership approach has always been integral to both the consultation and the implementation proposals.” The minutes of a council Cabinet meeting last February said there were two main options of either the council building them or selecting a partner through the procurement route.

Mr Murphy said a partnership approach would be the most cost effective, saving more than £16 million over 25 years. Savings would go back into care services for the elderly.

The council would have control over the number of placements it needed for its residents and pay less for them.