Notrees care home to stay open in council u-turn
The Notrees care home in Kintbury, which was due for closure in December, has had a stay of execution,
In an about turn, the council will now look at ways of upgrading the 18-bed home instead.
“The feedback was clear that the service is very valued by the residents, their families and the community, and the closure would have had a detrimental impact,” said Jo Stewart (Con, Tilehurst Birch Copse), portfolio holder for adult social care.
She said responses to a consultation showed that Notrees plays an important part in the life of the community.
“A well thought through proposal from the registered manager and her team was particularly interesting,” she added.
Back in April the council, which runs the home, said a combination of Covid burnout, competition from the NHS, reduced numbers of workers from the European Union and rising wages in other sectors is making it harder to find and retain the necessary staff.
The council said then that residents and their families would be supported to relocate to one of its other care homes, or an alternative private service, as appropriate.
The u-turn follows Kintbury Parish Council challenging the council’s data used to justify the closure as skewed.
It said there is ‘a false view of the facts and drives towards an inaccurate conclusion’.
Currently, Notrees – which has capacity for 18 people – is caring for 10 and the council says it will cost around £400,000 to keep it up to date.
An updated proposal showing revised options will be put to the executive committee in September.