There are plans to develop Cleeve Court in Twerton into a centre of excellence for dementia care following a review of three council-run community resource centres in Bath and North East Somerset.
There was a recent consultation with residents, families, staff and the wider community about the future of the community resource centres (CRCs) at Cleeve Court, Charlton House in Keynsham and Combe Lea in Midsomer Norton.
A new report recommends developing the service at Cleeve Court, which currently has 45 registered care beds, to support people with complex dementia in a residential setting, including those with early onset dementia, and to not seek nursing registration from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
As a specialist dementia home, Cleeve Court would be able to accommodate more complex dementia needs than a non-specialist facility which would reduce the need for transfers to nursing care.
The review also recommends providing a new residential special school and children’s home at Charlton House which is registered to provide 30 adult nursing care beds over two separate floors but currently has just 10 residents.
In October 2022 Charlton House received a rating of ‘inadequate’ from the CQC which has since been revised to ‘requires improvement’ following significant changes to the operational running of the home.
The cost of delivering nursing care is said to be significantly higher for the council compared to the independent market and there is sufficient capacity in the residential and nursing home market coupled with the commissioning plans for further nursing care.
Under the proposals, Charlton House would close on 31st March. The building would, following works, become a new residential special school with 16 places for children aged from 11 to 16, with an attached children’s home with two four-bed units.
At Combe Lea, which currently provides 30 registered care beds, there are plans to enable younger people with more complex needs to remain closer to home.
Concerns were expressed through the recent consultation regarding younger and older people living together at the centre in Midsomer Norton.
However, the council says there is significant research that demonstrates inter-generational activities can provide a range of benefits for both older adults in care homes and younger generations; bringing together different age groups can combat loneliness, improve physical and cognitive health, and increase empathy and understanding.
Councillors will also be asked to back a proposal to offer community groups and charitable organisations use of the day centre spaces at the community resource centres at a reduced rental rate which would reinstate the original purpose of the CRCs where, pre-Covid, all the community space was used by a wide of voluntary and community groups.
The report, which will go before a scrutiny meeting of councillors on Monday 5th February and then to the cabinet for approval on Thursday 8th February, says the council was successful in securing £4m through the Government-led Safety Valve Project which would allow it to provide local places for the highest need children and young people that are currently placed residentially out of the area.
An additional £1m is also being allocated through the High Needs Grant allocation.
In total, the council says it received 45 submissions on the care review proposals. More than half (53%) of responses were positive, nearly a third (31%) disagreed and 16% were unsure.
Cllr Alison Born, cabinet member for adult services, said: “I would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation – we have listened to all comments and concerns – and I want to reassure residents and families particularly at Charlton House that if these changes go ahead, we will continue to work with them to ensure the move to their new home is fully supported.
“At the heart of both the review and these proposals is our aim to improve services for the most vulnerable and ensure we are focusing on areas of highest and most complex need.”
Extra Care schemes and sheltered housing provision currently provided at CRC sites in partnership with housing providers would not be affected by these proposals.
