Anxious wait for care home staff

Staff at Southern Cross care homes across the district brace for job losses

CARE workers across the region employed by Southern Cross face an anxious 24 hours as the firm prepares for crisis talks following its decision on Wednesday (June 8) to axe 3000 staff.

A meeting in London today (Friday) will discuss how 132 of the homes are to be shut down by 2016 as the company attempts to save itself from collapse after announcing losses of £311million.

The firm has declined to comment on whether Hungerford Care Home in Hungerford Newtown, River View Care Centre in Tilehurst or The Hollies in Burghfield Common are among those at risk on the “Limited Life” register, after being questioned by Newburytoday.co.uk

Southern Cross is the UK's largest care home operator, and has 59 patients at Hungerford Care Home in Wantage Road, with 137 at River View in Rodway Road and 29 at The Hollies in Reading Road.

Jamie Buchan, the chief executive of Southern Cross, said on Wednesday that it was a very challenging time for the company and the industry.

“In today's announcement we are engaging with colleagues to put in place the best possible staffing model for our future needs, and one which fully embraces the best practice available to us,” he said.

The proposed reduction in staff numbers forms part of an ongoing programme of change instigated 18 months ago by the company's senior management team to improve effectiveness.

The full extent of the turmoil at was revealed last week when the company was forced to slash the amount of rent it pays to its landlords by 30 per cent in order to keep afloat.

The chairman of Southern Cross, Christopher Fisher, added: “Decisions on our future must be governed by a paramount concern for the welfare of our residents.

“We believe that for a critical mass of our landlords, supporting a restructured Southern Cross remains the most attractive option open to them, as we intend to demonstrate.”