County council puts care home closures on hold following legal challenge

A county council has agreed to put its care home closure programme on hold after a legal challenge from a local resident.

Maureen Beauchamp, who is legally aided, has brought a judicial review on behalf of her mother, who lives in a home due for closure by Devon County Council.

A spokesman for Devon said: “A legal challenge has been launched against the county council regarding the closure of the council-run residential care homes.
 
“As a result of this we have been asked by the Court to temporarily suspend the closure programme until this challenge has been resolved. We have submitted an appeal against this decision which will be heard as soon as possible."

The spokesman added: “We are therefore pausing all resident assessments and staff notice meetings pending further legal advice and will continue to provide appropriate care to all residents living in our homes.” 

The controversial programme to close 20 residential homes for elderly people was defended in June in a statement by the county’s cabinet member for adult services Stuart Barker.

He said that by 2017 the council’s budget would be only £400m, against £600m in 2009.

“Things cannot go on as they were,” he said. With efficiency and management savings exhausted “we have to make tough choices about our front line services”.

He said nearly 30% of the £70m annual budget for residential care went to the 10% of service users who lived in the council’s care homes, equivalent to some 260 people.

“The remaining 70% of the budget funds the 90% of elderly people we already buy residential places for in the independent and private sectors,” Cllr Barker said.

Average costs per bed per week were £903 in the council’s homes and £426 in the private sector, he added.

He said the council would instead expand its home care and re-ablement services.

Mark Smulian