Suffolk councillor looks to calm anxieties over care home closures

Suffolk County Council has confirmed plans to replace sixteen existing residential homes, along with eight community well-being centres, with ten state-of-art care homes and well-being centres to be run by Care UK, one of the country’s largest care sector providers.

A cabinet meeting will decide whether to approve the plans next week, although facing pressure from local campaigners who have assembled a 4,000 signature petition to keep one of the homes – – open, while concerns have also been expressed locally over the privatisation of care services.

Councillor Colin Noble, the council’s cabinet member for health and adult care, believes the £60m investment, which will almost double the county’s dementia care capabilities, will provide vital modernisation while also making financial sense, commenting:

“Our commitment and focus to ensure we get the best possible care and facilities for Suffolk people, remains as strong as ever. By transferring our care homes and well-being centres to Care UK we will attract a significant amount of investment that otherwise would simply not be available. The most vulnerable in society deserve the very best we can provide them – this deal represents that.”

The cabinet member has also looked to assure concerned parties that residents of the present care homes will not be overlooked during the process, saying:

“Before the Cabinet meets I will have fulfilled the commitment I made; that I would visit each of the care homes to discuss the proposals with residents and their relatives face to face. It has been extremely helpful to hear first hand the views of those in our homes – a lot have been positives, which is extremely encouraging. However, there were some concerns and we will continue to work hard to ensure that everyone is reassured about how the proposed changes will be managed.

“If Cabinet approve the proposed changes, each care home resident and attending a wellbeing centre will be allocated a social care worker to support them through the changes to ensure they continue to receive the care they need.”