Issue - meetings

To consider matters referred to Cabinet  from Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Leader of the Council invited Councillor Connor, Chair of the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel to introduce the Scrutiny report on Osborne Grove Nursing Home.

Cllr Connor put forward to Cabinet a recommendation to pause the implementation of the decision to close Osborne Grove Nursing Home, allowing the options appraisal for the provision of nursing care on the site to be taken into account.

Cllr Connor contended that the December decision to close the nursing home had been taken on the understanding that an Options Appraisal for the site would be considered at the January Cabinet meeting. However, as this had been delayed, a pause in the decision to close the Nursing Home was felt appropriate until this information became available.

The reasons for a pause in closure of the nursing home were further put forward by Cllr Connor. This included considering the risks of moving elderly people from the nursing home, the Council’s overarching duty of care to the Osborne Grove residents, and the consultation results, which indicated strongly against closure. The July 2017 Care Quality Commission findings were also referred to as these acknowledged the   improvements to the home, since previous inspections.

Cllr Connor referred to the ‘requires improvement’ CQC rating for Osborne Grove and questioned why a similar closure action was not being taken forward with Priscilla Wakefield Nursing Home, which was also rated as ‘requires improvement’.

Cllr Connor contended that Osborne Grove residents were likely to move to placements outside of the borough given there were no ‘good’ CQC rated nursing homes in the borough. As a consequence, there would be waiting lists for entry to the nursing homes and residents could be subject to, potentially, two moves.

Cllr Connor concluded by urging Cabinet to pause closure until the Options Appraisal was available. This time would enable further support to be given to staff to improve their confidence and care provision. Also, Cllr Connor suggested that the Care Quality Commission could be called back to assess the quality of care in this interim period to further provide assurance.

The Leader asked the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Culture to respond, adding that no new information had been put forward to Cabinet from Scrutiny to consider a pause in closure. In addition, the CQC July inspection findings referred to had already been considered at the December Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Culture thanked Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel for the time and attention given to ensuring that the process for the closure of Osborne Grove Nursing Home was carried out as smoothly as possible. Cllr Vanier further thanked family carers, staff members and other stakeholders who attended Adults and Health Scrutiny Panel on 8^th February and made representations on behalf of their loved ones, currently living at Osborne Grove Nursing Home.

The Cabinet Member continued to provide the following response to the Scrutiny recommendation:

• The decision to close a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 193