Agenda item

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, and to consider and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision to close Kiln Court care home.

Mr T Gates, County Council Member for Faversham, was present for this item.

1.            Ms Holden introduced the report and outlined the work which had been undertaken since the committee had considered the issue at its January meeting. It had not been possible to make a recommendation at that time, due to the further work needed, but a detailed proposal was now being presented for the committee’s comment, prior to a formal decision being taken by the Cabinet Member. 

2.            Mr Gates addressed the committee and said he hoped that Kiln Court would be allowed to remain open as there was no alternative provision yet in place; the arguments against closing Kiln Court were the same as those against closing the Dorothy Lucy Centre, ie it was valued and used by local people and those who benefitted from its services would find change very difficult to cope with; the home could be kept open for future use, be modernised and have services added to it to make its retention more feasible, perhaps being run by Age UK or a similar organisation; he referred to a letter from Brenda Chester from Faversham Health Matters which had been sent to him and all Member of the committee, setting out a case for keeping the home open and the lack of alternative local facilities for Faversham people; if it were to be closed, those who currently used the home would have to move a long way away, where their families may have difficulty in visiting them; alternative services needed to be local; the length of time allowed between the report to the committee’s January meeting and the taking of the decision in March did not seem sufficient to have completed and considered all the work required to be undertaken; the financial pressures upon the County Council were well understood, but the recent 2% increase in Council Tax could perhaps be spent on social care services; a past agreement about the use of the Kiln Court site was that it should always be used for social care purposes, and the current proposal could be challenged by the parties to that agreement. Ms Holden explained thatthe County Council was unable to approach any one provider, eg Age UK, to provide services but was required to enter open procurement and a formal tender exercise with the care market as a whole. If Kiln Court were to be declared surplus to requirements, the disposal of the site would require a separate decision to be taken by a Cabinet Member.

3.            Members then made the following comments:-

a)    it was important that Kent retain a mixed economy of care provision, with the involvement of the public, private and voluntary sectors. The public trusted the public sector to support them in difficult times, and the County Council needed to demonstrate that it was able to deliver such services.  For the public sector to stop providing care facilities could prove, in the future, to be a mistake, despite the current financial restrictions upon local authorities;

b)    a letter sent to Members by Brenda Chester had made some good points, particularly about a 2-tier system of choice based on a service user’s ability to pay; the County Council should surely look to offer quality care to all those who needed it;

c)    elderly care, like primary school education, needed to be provided locally. The report recommendation for Kiln Court did not include the same level of detailed assurances about alternative local provision as had been included for the Dorothy Lucy Centre, and the possibilities/scope for alternative provision set out in the report seemed less certain;

d)    people who had contributed much to the county during their lives should be able to rely on receiving good quality care in their later years; and

e)    in response to a query about the presentation of the information awaited at the time of the January report to the committee, Ms Holden, explained that a summary of the discussions with the clinical commissioning group was set out in section 4 of the current report.

4.            RESOLVED that:-

a)    the content of the report and the work undertaken to date be noted; and

b)    the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to

i)             close Kiln Court care home, Faversham; and

ii)            delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, or other nominated officer, to undertake the necessary actions to implement the decision,

be endorsed.

Carried, 8 votes to 4.

5.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Gibbens, emphasised that cost was not the main issue in the current proposal; the chief concern was the quality of care provided to those who needed it.  He reiterated his commitment that no closure would happen until alternative care provision was established and operating to his satisfaction.  He thanked Members for their comments and Mr Gates for attending to address the committee, and said he understood and respected the views put forward.