A Northwich care home has closed permanently after the council approved controversial reforms to its respite care services.

Leftwich Green care home has been temporarily closed since September 2018 following safeguarding concerns.

At the time of the closure, staff were transferred to Sutton Beaches, in Ellesmere Port, where they undertook intense re-training in all aspects of care, with many since leaving the employment of the authority.

Now it has been confirmed the 30-bed facility will not reopen after Cheshire West and Chester Council’s cabinet unanimously backed plans to close the home.

The decision will also see the closure of Sutton Beeches and Curzon House in Saltney.

The three facilities are designed to provide short term care for people, enabling their carers to take a break. But the council says the same service can be provided via alternative models.

The closures – which place 98 staff at risk of redundancy – have been highly controversial, resulting in protests and a petition with 1,875 signatures.

The new model will include:

  • The offer of a direct payment for service-users to receive funding to arrange their own support to be delivered in their own homes, or in a residential home of choice either in the local community or near to a family member.
  • Access to block booked short term/ respite beds in independent sector care homes.
  • The option of having care delivered in someone else’s home. This is known as Shared Lives, which the council said focusses on providing a flexible, person-centred service and encourages people to remain independent.

The council launched a consultation with staff and service-users in January, but that was branded ‘lip service’ by one speaker at the cabinet meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Teresa Connally, branch secretary at UNISON West Cheshire, called on councillors to hold a full public consultation.

She said: “What’s not happened is that your officers have not sat down and engaged with unions and staff to see how at least one of these buildings can be kept open, that open and transparent dialogue hasn’t happened.

“All that’s happened is a 90-day consultation. They have dismissed everything we’ve put together and they just say they don’t want a community-based building any more, and I think it’s just lip service.

“I’m pleading with you to vote against (closures), let’s work together in a working group and let the people have their say. These people are who you represent.”

Cllr Val Armstrong, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, told the meeting: “The savings from this decision will be used to develop an improved respite service and to fund the additional investment in adult social care which is needed to meet increasing demand and complexity of need as we have an ageing population."

She added: "Reaching this recommendation has been a difficult decision and has not been taken lightly."

The council said plans will now be progressed to explore alternative employment opportunities for staff currently based at each facility and to fully develop proposals for the buildings, which are due to close by the end of December this year.