UK's largest care provider HC-One puts 52 care homes up for sale and plans to close four

HC-One which runs 328 care homes for around 14,000 residents, has revealed it is putting 52 of them up for sale and is planning to close four.

The care provider, which has care homes in England, Scotland and Wales, is currently investing in refurbishing and modernising over 200 of its care homes and is also carrying out a new build programme. This has led to HC-One opening its first care home in York, Mossdale Residence, at the start of 2021, with a further two new care homes set to open soon, one in Bingham and one in Telford.

James Tugendhat, HC-One’s chief executive, said: “We are putting 52 of our homes up for sale in areas where we feel our communities would be better served by a local operator in conjunction with other local services. We are also proposing to close four homes. In both cases, we will work closely with our local partners and commissioners.

“Whilst we have chosen to make this announcement now, having determined our investment priorities, our sales and the four closures will only happen when we are convinced that we have found the right alternative operator, and when residents are able to safely move to their new care placement, ensuring continuity of care throughout the pandemic.

"We will also be providing all possible support to our colleagues to make these processes as smooth as possible for them. It will be business as usual for every home until all these processes are complete."

Mr Tugendhat added: “We strive to be the first choice for our families, our colleagues and our commissioners, and best meet the evolving care needs of the country, including the growing demand for more complex care and dementia care."

HC-One revealed that it wants to invest “where we can have the greatest impact and more effectively ready ourselves for the evolving needs of those we care for”.

A spokesman for the HC-One added: “A review of our portfolio was well underway before the pandemic started and we took the decision to put this review on hold last year as the pandemic began.

“Homes which are being sold will be sold as operational care homes and we will be working closely with prospective buyers to ensure that our colleagues’ jobs and the existing terms and conditions of their employment are protected by TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment) regulations.

“For those homes which will close, we will provide all possible support to our colleagues to gain ongoing employment."

In the wake of the announcement, the union GMB has called on the government to sort out the social care crisis and put in place sustainable funding reform.

Rachel Harrison, its national officer, said: “The Government has failed to deal with the problems in the social care system over years with the covid pandemic revealing the yawning cracks in the system from years of Government neglect.

“This announcement that one of our biggest social care providers is having to sell off and transfer care homes during the biggest public health crisis in all our lifetimes, just shows how broken the current system is – maybe even on the verge of collapse.”

She added: “Government Ministers have promised reform, calling for better integration with our health and public services, but we need more than just words and a promise of bringing forward reforms in the far-off future we need the details of the plan and action now.”