FUTURE OF OLDER PEOPLE’S PROVISION

CONSULTATION – Proposal for Kiln Court

MEETING WITH RESIDENTS AND RELATIVES AT KILN COURT

Held on Monday 28thSeptember 2015

Adult Social Services staff in attendance:

Caroline Hillen Head of Provision – Modernisation (Older People)

Mike PoweAssistant Director (Ashford and Canterbury)

Christy Holden Head of Strategic Commissioning – Accommodation Solutions

Stuart Atchison Senior Human Resources Advisor

Ben GladstoneCommissioning Manager

Sian Dellaway Senior Administration Officer

Christy Holden delivered a presentation on the consultation and the proposal for Kiln Court which is to close the home and provide alternative services in the independent sector.

Questions

Will all centres in this consultation be closing?

Each site included in the consultation have different options selected for them.

Will services be further away?

We want to keep services local and there will be work carried out alongside this consultation around this, which will include market testing for planned respite. Planned respite services are not just accessed by local people but also those from Maidstone, Canterbury and Sittingbourne.

Will other homes be used for respite?

Private sector homes will be looked at for planned respite care and others for when people come out of hospital. There are pressures for care in the community but this is not the case everywhere.

Could Kiln Court be kept open for respite care only?

Kiln Court is generally only used for respite care now, however referrals are having to be declined as some people require a greater level of care and the size of the rooms in the building limits the equipment and carers that can access. Different options have been considered however none have been successful.

How much will be received following the demolition of Kiln Court?

This is unknown. If the decision is take to close Kiln Court in January, KCC Adult Social Care will move out of the site and the Property team will consider what the next steps would be. This could be to sell the site.

Could Kiln Court be refurbished?

This option has been considered but it is not viable as we need to reduce the number of residential beds.

Is Kiln Court full today?

No there are 6 empty beds.

How much would a new care home placement cost?

KCC can buy equivalent care in the independent sector at approximately half the cost of a bed in Kiln Court.

What other options are there other than care homes?

Regis Gate Extra Care Housing scheme has just opened in Sittingbourne and there are similar schemes in other areas. This is what the Council considers for people entering the care system in future.

One person in attendance noted that there is a similar scheme in Weybridge. There are fees that still have to be paid but they had heard good things about it.

These schemes offer rented and shared ownership options and to access you would need to go through the Housing Association or the District Councils housing register. There is not a scheme similar to Regis Gate in Faversham; this is only available in Sittingbourne and In other locations across Kent.

Will there be a consultation for permanent care?

There is a process for those receiving permanent care and we will go through this with the service user and their family.

Will houses be built on the Kiln Court site?

The plan for the site after any decision is unknown as this will be taken byKCC Property.

The consultation is not a reflection of the staff or the quality of the service, it is about the need to modernise and also the current building will not be fit for the future.

There are problems with the private sector as this is not as smooth as the services at Kiln Court.

We are aware that there are issues and problems in care homes but we do monitor and work on these in partnership with the care homes that are contracted to provide care by KCC. There are good homes in the private sector and the media focus is often only on the bad.

There is a decrease in the number of long term residential placements being made by KCC and there is an increase in the demand for nursing care and we are trying to keep people at home but there are challenges at the moment.

Why can’t money be invested into Kiln Court?

A refurbishment would cost between £1.25 million to £2.5 million and we no longer have access to the capital and it is hard to carry out refurbishment work around people. The centre would still have to close for at least a year to carry out any significant refurbishment.

Estuary View has planning permission and it is planned for there to be a medical centre, community hospital, teaching nursing home and an extra care housing scheme on this site. Age UK may also be involved but the final detail is unknown.

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