Derbyshire councillors visit care homes in countywide campaign

Derbyshire County Council’s new member for social care has been visiting the county’s care homes in an attempt to experience services first hand.

Councillor Clare Neill and her deputies Cllr Paul Jones and Cllr Robert Davison are spending time meeting as many staff and residents as possible . The new member is trying to visit all of Derbyshire’s residential homes before she considers the future of care for older people and how it will be delivered. As part of her review of the sector, she will closely examine plans to consider closing almost all of the county’s care homes.

Cllr Neill said: “I am committed to trying to keep at least some of our care homes open. This is going to be very difficult, given that a contract to begin to replace them with extra care apartments was signed just before this election.

“I want to consider all the options available and, as part of this, I want to experience what’s on offer first hand and meet people who will be affected by any future decisions.”