Meeting documents

Woodside - meeting with residents and relatives 20 April 2004

Present:

Apologies were received from Mr and Mrs Smith, family of Reginald Smith

DS asked everyone to introduce them selves. He explained that he would go through the contents of the report and answer any questions

The report recommended the closure of Tyndale and Woodside. Copies of the report were available at the meeting today but would not be made public until Monday next. It will be presented to the Executive Committee on 5 May. There would then follow a ten-day period for `call-in'.

The report addresses the issues of why this situation had arisen and the financial and legal implications of closure together with the impact on staff, residents and relatives. The views of relatives are reflected in the report, and the minutes of all the consultation meetings are in an appendix. The report also contains an appendix with the assessments carried out for each resident, although these are presented anonymously. It details the number of working hours available for staff and the legal, human rights and personnel issues around redeployment.

At the start of the consultation process Woodside had 24 residents. This has altered; inevitably the introduction of the possibility of change makes people want to move on. Today there are 19 residents. In total there are 34 residents who require places, 6 wish to go to the independent sector. We have 42 spaces available, plus 6 respite beds in the other Council homes, including 4 at Sunnyside. Assessments have shown that some residents would be best placed at Sunnyside, our specialist home for those suffering from dementia. There are more than adequate resources overall to place all those affected by closures.

In respect of staff there is a good match between vacancies and day staff, similarly with night staff there will be a number of hours available including extra ones when St John's Court opens. Among cooks, domestic and admin staff there is a reasonably good match of vacancies and hours required for redeployment.

Q. How much do residents know?

A. We have not formally shared this with them yet

Q. Residents have been to see other accommodation. I understand there is a policy of choosing three different places - is that right?

A. DS - it would be best to discuss individual cases with Yvonne Case and the Home Manager

Q. Assuming the report is accepted, what is the likely timing? When do residents have to make a decision?

A. FH - We cannot say if the Executive will accept the report, it is very difficult to pre-empt their decision. DS - hypothetically a decision could be available about ten days after 5 May. Our experience at Greenacres closure was that as soon as a decision is made, residents want to go

Q. My relative has been to 7 homes, only one suits her and that is at Keynsham. This will take her away from Bath where she has always lived, and her friends who visit her. By shutting Woodside you are depriving people of their homes

A. DS - we are trying to move residents with friends they have made in Woodside, and hope to be able to move some staff with them so that there are familiar faces around them

Q. You are taking her away from people who visit her here

A. DS - I think its best you talk to Yvonne Case about individual problems

Q. What if someone is assessed for nursing care? Our relative has had two assessments, I knew about the second one only because her GP told me

A. The Care Manager and Social Worker will review the assessment and discuss it with YC

Q. Two relatives had received no invitation to this meeting and only heard by chance. If the timing is 6-8 weeks, what is the final closure time? We want to be there to help the resident move, but have commitments and holidays planned

A. DS - we can only apologise if you were not notified of the meeting, but glad you have attended. We would like people to move in concert, problems arise in the new placements if lots of people arrive at once, so it would be a planned move. Please leave details of dates to avoid and we will work with you on that

Q. After all these moves have been made, what surplus capacity will you have?

A. DS - There are 42 vacant rooms, there could be 26 residents going into our Council homes and we will hold these vacancies until everyone is settled. There should be spare capacity after this

Q. This still doesn't address the individual's choice

A. DS - True, we are aware of this, we do have respite beds so there is some flexibility

Q. Will the bigger programme go ahead once you have filled the homes?

A. DS - we have a designer and constructor in place. The whole programme is regularly under review by the Risk Scrutiny Panel which has a `traffic light' grading system - currently the programme is green. FH - all of us are committed to the new build. In future people want ensuite rooms and flexibility in their care requirements. Residential care starts at fairly low levels at present, but as new intake comes along the care requirements will be higher. DS - the model of care includes £1.3m for the in-reach nursing team to help prevent hospital admissions. We are running a pilot of this scheme. The Department of Health has also given us money to train staff to nursing auxiliary level. The government is going to scrutinise us closely and B&NES is determined to provide a new model of care that will lead where others follow.

Q. Could you remind us of the time-scale for building the new centres?

A. JS - roughly one a year. St John's Court will be available this autumn, Keynsham will be the last to be built, so Bath and Radstock centres will be in between. Building at Bath and Radstock centres may happen at the same time. All should be completed by 2007.

Q. We have found somewhere for our relative - how long does it take to do a move.

A. YC - wait for the decision to be made, then the process of moving will start. DS - we would rather sort out everyone all together, rather than one at a time

Q. Are there any individual financial consideration that might make a difference?

A. DS - as far as the Council is concerned, assessment has been done and agreed. In the independent sector it is possible sometimes to negotiate fees, although the client contribution stays the same throughout. YC - the only variation in Council homes is at Sunnyside where the fees are higher because of its specialist nature.

Q. Who is likely to buy the sites?

A. DS - I don't know what the prospects are for the sale

Q. Why not keep Woodside open?

A. Money for the whole re-provision programme has to come from somewhere, and currently money that is needed for the programme is being spent elsewhere on running under-occupied homes and paying for agency staff.

Q. What's the next thing we will hear?

A. We will let you know what decision the Executive meeting makes. Would you prefer to attend another meeting, or can we let you know individually. It was agreed that Yvonne Case and the Home Manager would contact relatives individually to let them know the result of the Executive meeting.