TORY controlled Cheshire West and Chester Council is looking to replace its “inadequate” short stay adult care accommodation with “excellent” new facilities.

But the Labour opposition has questions which it believes have not been answered.

DAVID NORBURY has been looking into the issue.

CHESHIRE West and Chester Council's adult services chief Cllr Brenda Dowding (Con, Parkgate) and Labour’s deputy spokesperson, Blacon councillor Alex Tate, appear to disagree not only on what the issue actually is but also on the current position.

Two separate aspects of adult care in the Chester and Ellesmere Port areas of the borough have become linked.

In addition, an 810 signature petition has been submitted to the council opposing the closure of any respite, short stay or day care facilities.

On one hand there is the possibility of a new state of the art facility in Newton, Chester which could replace existing community support centres, although decisions have yet to be taken.

On the other, there is the question of the removal of short stay and respite beds from Lightfoot Lodge in Hoole which is due to happen this month (September).

Following discussions between the council and residents in Newton, possible proposals have been drawn up for a 72 place centre at the former Woodfield School on Kingsway.

This would meet the latest Care Quality Commission standards which includes all en-suite bedrooms and larger room sizes.

The new build could replace the Lightfoot Lodge and Curzon House centres in Chester and Sutton Beeches in Ellesmere Port.

The facility would have the latest health and safety features to combat infections and meet the most recent fire safety requirements.

It would include six multi-purpose units, each with 12 en-suite bedrooms, two of which would be for people with dementia, two for intermediate care and two for respite/short stay.

There would be a 20 place day care facility for people with dementia and 12 bungalows in the grounds to offer homes for older people who need care and support. Community facilities would be provided.

While the new build was being completed, the council has proposed that residents would receive their respite care at Curzon House, Hallwood Court in Neston or at Sutton Beeches.

There would be an option for individuals to have places funded for them at an independent home of their choice or to use the council's family based care service.

Hoole and Newton councillor Adrian Walmsley (Con) points out, however, that no final conclusions have yet been reached on the future of the day care arrangements at Lightfoot Lodge or on the future of Curzon House and Sutton Beeches.

It has been said day care at Lightfoot Lodge would remain until the new build was complete, or an alternative use was found for the site, possibly housing for older people.

Cllr Walmsley describes the possibilities in Newton as “early drawing board plans”.

Any proposals on the future of the existing centres would be subject to full public consultation, he points out.

More recently, Cllr Dowding has taken a decision to close the respite and short stay beds in Líghtfoot Lodge from September.

The closure, which follows a 12 week consultation by the council, is said to be possible due to spare capacity in the council's community support centres.

Cllr Dowding told the most recent meeting of the full council, in answer to a question from Cllr Tate: “This question is mistaken as it assumes the closure of Lightfoot Lodge is dependent on some future plans. This is simply not true.

“Cheshire West and Chester currently has over-provision of accommodation and I have to say that is to be expected since we are doing our very best to support people in the community.

“Last year the over capacity in our community resource reached 21% and it is rising. This is the equivalent of over £680,000 just wasted. Last week alone there were a total of 266 empty bed nights.”

Cllr Tate had suggested: “in view of the call by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat government for a drastic cut in services, should not the planned closure of Lightfoot Lodge in September and the subsequent plans for the closure of Curzon House and Sutton Beeches be delayed until there is absolute certainty that the planned centralisation of the council's adult care services to the new facility in Chester will actually take place.”

Cllr Dowding pointed out the decision to close the short stay beds at Lightfoot Lodge had already been taken and suggested it could have been questioned through a call in.

Cllr Dowding also argued the government had not called for a drastic cut in services.

“They certainly are telling us that the result of the last Labour government is likely to be a drastic cut in funding for everyone so in this cold climate we are determined to be as efficient and effective as possible.

“However I have to say that we don't really need a cold climate to drive us to be efficient and effective, we actually believe in it.

“We always do our best to deliver first-rate services.”

She suggested the replacement of the council's “out of date community support centres” would be “a fantastic improvement in services to our residents”.

Cllr Dowding added: “We have managed to identify the resources to allow this to happen and that is good news but there is still some way to go on that project.

“We need to consult with our residents in Ellesmere Port and Chester about the possible changes.

“This will be the first step in considering an exciting opportunity that may be open to us for providing a better future for short stay care.”

She insisted: “In the meantime it serves no one to waste money and funding empty beds is a real waste of money.

“It just means there is less money for services that are desperately needed.”

Cllr Tate asked: “In the absence of a cast-iron guarantee that the new facility will ever exist, could I ask that a contingency plan should be urgently established for this authority to consider alternative options such as a much needed comprehensive refurbishment programme for the current homes.

“This would improve the comfort of service users and allow these very vulnerable people to enjoy familiar surroundings whilst avoiding the hardship and disturbance of the projected move to a strange location in some cases many miles from home.”

Cllr Dowding replied: “The question you are asking now is about two facilities that we have made no decision about.”

Cllr Tate insists, however, that a contingency plan should be in place in case capital spending cuts “suddenly call a halt” to the proposed scheme in Newton.

She asks what would happen to users if this never actually happens.

“The council is just not saying and is refusing to give comfort to worried councillors and residents alike,” she comments.

Cllr Dowding emphasises the council's current discussions relate only to short stay provision and not to the long term accommodation offered by care homes.

She points out the problem of “hundreds of thousands of council tax payers pounds wasted by overprovision” has been solved by the removal of the beds at Lightfoot Lodge but says a second issue remains.

“Our short stay buildings are inadequate when measured against the modern standards residents have every right to expect.

“The care offered by dedicated staff at Sutton Beeches in Ellesmere Port and Curzon House is second to none but their excellent work is challenged by small bedrooms, a shortage or en suite bathrooms, narrow corridors and sub standard communal facilities.

“We are determined to tackle this unacceptable situation.”

She suggests Cllr Tate's question on the position if the current plans were halted “is simply deceptive”.

“There are no secret current plans to be halted, there is simply the clear objective to deliver excellent short stay facilities and exploring options to secure this objective is our current agenda,” explains Cllr Dowding.

“Resources for modernisation have already been allocated and will not be affected by spending cuts.”

Cllr Walmsley feels the Labour Party "has jumped the gun and in this particular instance have wrongly assumed that a decision has been made to close all three centres."

He says the respite and night time facilities at Lightfoot Lodge “have recently been very much under subscribed and the tired buildings there make them totally unfit for modern usage”.

He also points out that neither Cllr Tate nor any of her Labour group colleagues had raised any objection to that particular closure.

“At the recent council meeting I gave reasoned, accurate and responsible answers to questions that were based on incorrect assumptions,” suggests Cllr Dowding.

Cllr Tate argues, however that her question was put “in the interest of the general public and fellow councillors of all parties who have voiced considerable concern over this matter”.

She insists it was not answered and comments: “We must all wonder why.”

Cllr Walmsley suggests Labour “is attempting to make cheap political capital”.

To decide this issue for yourself, you can see the questions and answers by visiting the web cast of the meeting on the Cheshire West and Chester internet site.