Concerns Raised Over Closure Plans for Rhondda Care Home

There have been concerns raised about plans to close a care home in the Rhondda before a new home is opened in the area.
The closure of two care homes in Rhondda Cynon Taf is being considered by the council due to falling demand for traditional care homes in a move that could save £2m a year.
The council’s cabinet on Thursday, September 19, agreed to consult on plans on permanently close care homes in Ferndale (Ferndale House) and Hawthorn (Cae Glas) and to develop a new residential dementia care home on the former Chubb Factory site in Ferndale.
The council said that this is in response to falling demand for traditional care homes with more than a third of available beds in the council’s care homes currently being vacant.
By reducing the level of vacant beds across the council’s adult residential
accommodation the proposed changes could generate an estimated revenue
saving of around £2m in a full year while still providing care beds that meet
demands, the council said.
But local councillors Susan Morgans and Jayne Smith have raised concerns with the proposal for Ferndale House.
Cllr Morgans said they were grateful for the investment for the new home, especially the additional dementia beds which are essential, but said they had been assured that Ferndale House would not close until the new home had been set up and she said it was “disappointing then that we are considering closing this home before we’ve even agreed the site”.
Craig Jones from the GMB union said staff feel betrayed on promises that they’ve received previously claiming that a “cast iron” assurance, promise and commitment was given by the director of social services 18 months ago that the facility would be in place until the new one is built.
 
Mr Jones asked for cabinet to defer the decision until meaningful negotiation and dialogue can be done with the union, residents, families and staff.
 
Neil Elliott, director of social services, said the authority was confident the site at the Chubb Factory can deliver what they need and some of the delays were about identifying the right site.
Sian Nowell, the director of adult services, added: She said: “This decision was not made lightly and certainly is not not done without great feeling and understanding about how difficult this will be personally for staff and personally for service users and their families.”
 
Councillor Maureen Webber said with or without the financial challenges itwas not viable to sustain the current rate of vacancies across their homes.
“We know how emotive it is. We know how sensitive it is.”
 
The proposals would reduce residential care beds by 65 but 84 vacancies would remain across the council’s care homes if the proposals go ahead.
Vacancies are expected to increase as the new schemes in Mountain Ash, Porth, Ferndale and Treorchy are opened – while the residential dementia capacity in the refurbished area of Parc Newydd Care Home (Talbot Green) will be increased by 10 beds.
As of August 2024, only 156 of the 237 beds across the council’s current care homes are occupied – meaning 34.2% are empty.
The report said that 14 fewer beds are occupied now than in February 2023 and overall care home placements have fallen by 8% since 2016/17
despite an expanding older population – while demand for dementia
care, homecare services and extra care is increasing.
Work is already under way to prepare the Chubb factory site in Ferndale site
for development, with designs drawn up and initial ground testing required
before a main construction scheme can begi, subject to planning permission.
The cabinet report says that Ferndale House Care Home doesn’t meet modern standards required to provide continuing high-level and quality care accommodation.
It says the home has had low resident numbers over a prolonged period and is therefore no longer financially sustainable.
All residents would have the opportunity to move back to the brand-
new care home in Ferndale when it opens if they want to.
In relation to staff positions potentially being affected by the proposals the council said it will fully explore opportunities for staff redeployment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​