Kirklees Council approves plan to privatise care homes

Claremont House in Heckmondwike was under threat along with Castle Grange in Huddersfield

A council has given the green light to look into privatising two of its dementia care homes as it seeks to plug a £47m shortfall in its budget.

Kirklees Council had proposed shutting Castle Grange, in Huddersfield, and Claremont House, in Heckmondwike, and moving residents to other homes.

But, after a campaign by the residents' families, the homes were kept open.

Plans for officers to "formally explore" privatising the homes were approved at a meeting on Tuesday.

Cabinet member for health and social care councillor Jackie Ramsay told the meeting: "I want to be clear with the public, nothing has changed in relation to the context relating to the financial challenges we are in as a local authority."

She said the council currently "heavily subsidised" the cost of care at the homes and it would be more "cost effective" to purchase it from the independent sector.

However, campaigners from the Save Our Kirklees Dementia Care Homes group who attended the meeting said their "biggest concern" was the homes being transferred to private companies "dabbling in dementia care and not providing the specialist care that's needed".

In response, Ms Ramsay said there were "excellent quality care homes in the independent sector".

No objections were made after she asked the council's Cabinet to approve plans for council officers "to formally explore the commercial partnership model".

Residents at the homes would not have to move and would still be cared for by their current carers, Ms Ramsay added.

She said the council would continue to run the homes should a buyer not be found.

She called for more financial support for social care in Kirklees from central government during the meeting.

Her plea comes after Communities Secretary Michael Gove committed an additional £500m for councils to help fund children's and adult social care in January.