Have your say on dementia residential homes in Kirklees consultation
The consultation closed on 03 January 2024. Any feedback gathered through the consultation process will contribute to the final decision that will be made at a cabinet meeting in March.
Background
At a cabinet meeting on 26 September 2023, it was agreed that we would consult the public and other stakeholders to review and explore the potential closure of the council's long stay residential homes at Castle Grange and Claremont House.
Castle Grange is situated at the junction of Ing lane and Dawson Road in Newsome.
Castle Grange provides twenty-hour residential care and support for people over the age of fifty-five who have a Dementia diagnosis. Service users below these ages may be accommodated if the establishment clearly meets their needs, or in exceptional cases, on a temporary basis in emergency situations.
The home has provision for thirty long stay and ten short stay/emergency beds. All bedrooms are single occupancy with en-suite shower facilities.
Currently the home is temporarily accommodating a Dementia Day care service, this has reduced the homes provision to thirty beds in total, twenty-six beds are currently occupied by long stay service users and four beds are used for short stay/emergency placements.
The home is a two-storey building with use of either a lift or stairs to access the first floor. Each floor is divided into two self-contained suites that consists of ten personalised en-suite bedrooms, one open planned lounge and dining area, one kitchen with facilities to promote independence and one assisted bathroom.
A variety of equipment such as bath lifts and hoists etc are available for use by staff to help clients who have problems with mobility.
Castle Grange has a planned programme of activities that includes musical evenings, film nights, visiting entertainers, gardening, listening to music, Bible Stories, book club, manicure/hairdressing and indoor games/outdoor games.
Care at Castle Grange is tailored to individual needs and lifestyles and allows for individuality to shine through.
Claremont House is situated at the junction of Brighton Street and Claremont in Heckmondwike. It is just 5 minutes' walk from the town's main shopping centre.
Claremont House provides twenty-hour residential care and support for people over the age of fifty-five who have a dementia diagnosis. Service users below these ages may be accommodated if the establishment clearly meets their needs, or in exceptional cases, on a temporary basis in emergency situations.
The home has provision for thirty long stay and ten short stay beds. All bedrooms are single occupancy with en-suite shower facilities.
Currently the home is undertaking a series of decoration, this has reduced the homes provision to thirty beds in total, twenty beds are currently occupied by long stay service users and ten beds are used for short stay placements.
The home is a two-storey building with use of either a lift or stairs to access the first floor. Each floor is divided into two self-contained suites that consists of ten personalised en-suite bedrooms, one open planned lounge and dining area, one kitchen with facilities to promote independence and one assisted bathroom.
A variety of equipment such as bath lifts and hoists etc are available for use by staff to help clients who have problems with mobility.
Claremont House have a planned programme of activities that includes musical evenings, library service, film nights, visiting entertainers, gardening, listening to music, manicure/hairdressing and indoor games/outdoor games.
Rationale for the proposal
The strategic aim for social care services is to support people to remain in their own homes and as independent as possible for as long as possible. This is reflected in the significant expansion in reablement and home care capacity and delivery across Kirklees and the council's investment in services such as the new build dementia day service at Knowl Park House.
Providers of care
The council is a significant provider of social care in areas where there are fewer alternative providers such as dementia day services and day services and respite for people with a learning disability. These are all areas where the council has been making significant investments.
There are a wide range of providers in other areas of social care and the council provides only a small part of the total provision. Examples of this include residential and nursing home care where the independent sector has a comprehensive service offer, supported by the council and the NHS in conjunction with the local care association.
Older people living at home
Older people in Kirklees, and across the UK, overwhelmingly prefer to remain living in their own home for as long as possible. There is therefore less demand for residential care as more people stay at home for longer with support provided at home when needed before requiring more intensive nursing care. We have seen demand for residential places across Kirklees reduce over recent years.
To this end the council has made significant investment in dementia care services with the newly built Knowl Park House Day Service due to be ready spring 2024. This service will offer flexible day service sessions to include evening and weekend support.
Legal responsibility
The council has a statutory responsibility to accommodate people assessed as requiring residential care services. This duty can be discharged through the use of available council run care home capacity and/or through care home placement capacity in the wider care home market in Kirklees.
The proposed changes
The combination of the above factors mean that it is not viable for the council to continue operating Castle Grange and Claremont House as council run residential care homes and that opportunities to maximise the available capacity within the independent sector to provide quality care that meets service user needs should be further explored.
The consultation process
The Council is currently engaged in a 12-week non-statutory (not required by legislation) consultation process in relation to the proposed closure of Castle Grange and Claremont House dementia residential care homes.
The consultation closed on 03 January 2024. Any feedback gathered through the consultation process will contribute to the final decision that will be made at a cabinet meeting in February.
The consultation process involves face to face meetings with resident families and staff. An online consultation survey is also open to anyone who would like to share their views on this proposal. Feedback from the consultation along with the options appraisal will be considered before any decision is made by cabinet in early 2024.
In the spirit of transparency and openness the Council has responded promptly to requests for additional information from consultees where appropriate. It is not unusual for an exchange of information to occur during an engagement process. However, having regard to the nature of the extra information provided to consultees, the Council considers the 12-week timescale to remain reasonable and proportionate.
Stakeholders
We are consulting with the residents and families impacted by the proposals; staff working in the two homes and wider teams across the council. We are also consulting with partners (includes the Kirklees Dementia Hub, NHS partners, VCSE); the care provider market (represented through Kirklees Care Association) and the wider public.