'Don't save care homes by privatising them', Lancashire MPs say

The Reform administration at Lancashire County Council announced on Wednesday that the local authority-run facilities would receive “much-needed investment” in order to provide “continued stability and comfort for residents…for the years to come”.

The move ended much of the uncertainty surrounding the homes – Favordale (Colne), Grove House (Adlington), Milbanke (Kirkham), Thornton House (Thornton- Cleveleys) and Woodlands (Clayton-le-Moors) – which were placed under review last October, when their buildings were deemed to be in “significantly poor condition”.

A public consultation was launched into the services – along with five day centres – and, while the authority insisted no decisions had been taken about their fate, campaigns sprang up to ‘save’ the premises from any possibility of closure.

Reform’s investment pledge means the ruling group has overtaken the official county council review process, which is not expected to conclude until the spring – at which point an official resolution can be reached by cabinet members.

The 11 Labour MPs in the county have now written to the authority’s leader, Stephen Atkinson, seeking reassurance that the promised cash injection for the homes will not be in the form of “external investment” that would ultimately lead to the homes being “privatised” or “sold off”.

The leader of the Progressive Lancashire official opposition group at County Hall, Azhar Ali, has previously said he started to receive enquiries from private care operators interested in taking over the facilities as soon as a question mark was placed over them by the review.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) approached Reform in Lancashire for comment on the MPs’ letter.

The county council's Conservative group leader, Aidy Riggott, told the LDRS that the position that had been reached on the facilities was "very welcome news" - and he paid tribute to those who had campaigned on this issue.

However, he said the “somewhat chaotic” announcement lacked the “clear information” that he was now calling for.

“Under what operating model and how these care comes will be funded is yet to be made public. The answers [provided by a county council officer at a budget scrutiny committee meeting] to questioning last week included…that one option under consideration is ‘other partnerships, perhaps of a commercial character’.

"I wrote to the chief executive last week requesting clarity on the latest position, to prevent further uninformed speculation and worry to those most affected. I feel the council has a duty of care to do all it can to remove that uncertainty and to provide the necessary information and bring clarity to all those involved and affected by this decision," added County Cllr Riggott.

Meanwhile, the daughter of a 94-year-old woman who lives at the Grove House care home in Adlington said it was “good news” that Reform had pledged to invest in the premises – but criticised the way the review had been handled.

Julie Lindley said: “If the idea was always to make improvements and closing [the homes] was never in their plan, why have we gone through all this? Why was there a [theoretical] timetable in place that everybody would be out by November?

“Residents and families have suffered all this trauma and pain – but why did we have to get to this point?”

An indicative timeframe for moving residents to other facilities was included in papers published by Lancashire County Council at the outset of the review last October. The authority said it was produced simply so that it would be in a position to enact any decision that was ultimately taken – not to pre-determine it.

Jennie Lawrenson, the niece of another Grove House resident, said she, too, was taking the investment announcement as “a win”, but added that families were still “in limbo” because of the fact the review is officially ongoing.

“It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions,” she said.

The LDRS understands a video message has been sent to care home staff by a senior county council officer, stressing that the review still has to be completed – and the results of the consultation analysed – before an official decision is made.

The Labour representative for the Chorley Rural East division, Kim Snape, who has campaigned to protect Grove House since its future was thrown into doubt, said the investment promise was a "victory for the community" - but also joined the call for "clarity" about exactly what it means.

Speaking on Wednesday, cabinet member for adult social care Graham Dalton said: “Our priority has always been – and remains – doing what is right for the people of Lancashire who rely on our care.

“That’s why our review into the model of care across Lancashire has identified that investment is long overdue.

“Lancashire residents expect and deserve high-quality social care services. We’re committed to innovation and investment that ensures services remain safe, sustainable and fit for the future. Our existing care homes must receive the investment they deserve.

“Residents should be in no doubt that our administration is thinking of families and the workforce when we make decisions. Many have been understandably anxious during this process which is why we will share the conclusions of this review with you at the earliest opportunity.

“The Reform group and Lancashire County Council would like to thank all stakeholders that have taken part in this process. Our commitment to enabling Lancashire residents in our care to live meaningful lives is unwavering.”

Reform confirmed to the LDRS that the day centres were not part of the investment plan announced this week, seemingly indicating that the future of those services will not be known until the official outcome of the review.

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