Six care homes may be sold off
Six city council-run care homes could be put up for sale to save more than £1.2 million a year.
The move would affect a total of 197 residents and 219 staff, but council leaders have pledged they will not close.
Leicester City Council says the homes need about £15 million of investment, which the authority would struggle to find.
It has begun a review to see if it would be better to transfer the homes to the private sector, or set up a not-for-profit company to run them by 2012.
The care homes affected are Abbey House, in New Parks; Arbor House, in Evington; Herrick Lodge, in Belgrave; Nuffield House, in the West End; Preston Lodge, off Humberstone Road, and Thurn Court, in Thurnby Lodge.
Council bosses said all residents and staff would be transferred into the care or employment of new management, but unions said they have "real concerns" about the idea.
Councillor Michael Cooke, city council cabinet member for older people, said the review will be complete by the end of the year.
He said: "These homes haven't been improved for 15 years.
"Our costs are significant here and we have to review our service to see how it could be run better. We are ruling nothing in or out.
"It will be over my dead body that any services would suffer if this went ahead.
"We have ways of making sure people get the care they deserve.
"We would take back control if this was not the case."
Leicestershire County Council went through a similar process last year, which saw six of its homes controversially transferred from its control.
Thousands of people signed petitions and protested at meeting organised following concerns that the quality of care offered would suffer.
Disabled war veteran Bill Allen's wife, Betty, 85, died soon after Catherine Dalley House, in Melton, was sold off last year.
Mr Allen, 83, also of Melton, said: "It was the most upsetting and unsettling time I can remember.
"It should never have gone ahead."
Union bosses said transferring control to the private sector could damage the quality of care and see staff laid off or working in poorer conditions.
Gary Garner, Leicester's branch secretary for the Unison union, said: "There are many examples where services have gone out to the private sector and they have not worked, and service users and staff have suffered as a result.
"Residents could get worse care and staff could get worse terms, or even be laid off."
If the sell-off goes ahead, two care homes owned by the city council would be left in its control. Council bosses said no decisions have been made and they could still decide to keep the six homes under review.
Cooper House, in Eyres Monsell, and Elizabeth House, in New Parks, are not included in the review.
Nor is Brookside Court, in Knighton, which is run with the city's primary care trust.
15 Comments
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by Ashraf, Leicester
Thursday, January 29 2009, 10:21AM
“Does that mean that the elderly have NOT been getting the care they deserve so far?
Is this an admission that the elderly are not being cared for properly ?”
by Ike, Leicester
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 3:14PM
“Where do the council come from, how many builders are out of work, how many would love to be able to work, 15 million pounds divided by 6 care homes 2.5 million to be spent on each, if this is the case who has been looking after them as schedule of works / delapidations and issuing reports back to the council who should have maintained their no our the rate payers,stock. Save money!!! get rid of the job worths at the glass tower of Leicester I bet half the staff their do not even know their own job title. These elderly people some with dementia some unable to walk un-assisted who treat these homes as their homes served in the war most of them, served the city of Leicester in one way or another over the years and this is by way of repayment by the so called WORKING FOR YOU LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL-----TOSH!!! sack the fat cats add up their salary and you will soon have a few million to spend, savings on benefits to unemployed builders who could be bought in to do the works, come on council use some of those so called proffessionals you pay big bucks to and do real breakdown and schedule.”
by Cllr Phillip King, Kibworth, Leics
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 2:49PM
“For a leading member of Labour run Leicester City Council to more or less admit that they have 'starved' their care homes of much needed investment over the past 15 years, is something the council taxpayers of Leicester City should be seriously concerned with.
Yet this isn't this the same Labour run Leicester City Council that has ploughed millions of pounds of taxpayers money into other projects, and has pledged to find £35 MILLION pounds to invest in the 'Tram to nowhere' if the CO-OP ever got permission for their Pennbury Eco Town near Great Glen in the COUNTY.
Makes you wonder what's really going on here doesn't it?”
by Jo, Leicester
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 2:09PM
“After coping at home for the past 2 yeards with my mum, who suffers from early dementia, she has been a resident at Preston Lodge for the past 6 months and this has taken an enormus strain, both physically and mentally, off me and my family. Preston Lodge staff are outstanding with the care they provide to my mum and the other residents there. Mum is very settled and has made some good friends since she has been there and this in turn has made a massive positive contribution to her mental health and wellbeing. I am appalled that the council are considering closing these 6 homes. My mum has worked all her life, paid her taxes, in the hope that she will have safe and fulfilling later years.
Please, I beg the council not to consider putting these homes into the private sector or closing them. These residents deserve to live the rest of their lives knowing that they will continue to receive the excellent care that these homes provide, and the staff need to know they are valued and can continue to provide the care that the residents of these homes really need.”
by John Ryde, Newbold Verdon
Wednesday, January 28 2009, 1:40PM
“A "care " home should be what it says,... for care, which is what they are now.
If they are sold they will need to change the name to "for profit" homes because that is what they will be and the service users will just be a commodity.”