Council propose less disruption during £20m care programme

Stockport Council is proposing to build a new 78 bed care home and make more beds available at the start of its £20 million investment programme in partnership with Borough Care Limited.

Early this year, Stockport Council announced the £20m investment to improve and modernise a number of care homes leased from the Council and operated by Borough Care Limited.

The proposals have now been revised in order to minimise any reduction in the number of care beds available throughout this programme whilst ensuring that the residents’ needs, care and safety are a priority.

The revised proposals will be considered by the Council Executive, but the main changes include:

• a proposal to build a new 78 bed care home at the start of the programme on land owned by the Council at Booth Street in Edgeley
• proposal to build an extension to Reinbek

These changes mean that there would be well designed space to comfortably start accommodating residents once the other care home renovations begin. Towards the end of the four to five year long project, Bamford Close, along with Cawood House and Lisburne Court would be handed back to the Council and all staff and residents would be offered new places in one of the newly refurbished homes.

Cllr Wendy Wild, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Adults said: “This is a very complex programme of work and the Council and Borough Care are committed to ensuring that the wellbeing of our residents, their families and staff is at the heart of everything we do. The movement of residents will require a sensitive and skilful undertaking. The proposed changes would help to minimise the impact on residents.

“As the Council’s investment cannot be used to substantially increase the number of beds provided by Borough Care, we are recommending that Bamford Close be handed back to the Council along with Lisburne Court and Cawood House, but this would not happen until near the end of the programme.

“We continue to work hand in hand with Borough Care to ensure that families and staff are kept fully informed and involved. “

Steven Normansell, Chairman of Borough Care Ltd, added: “This investment will allow us to support our residents to stay independent for longer and enhance their quality of life, through better designed homes and improved facilities.

“However, it has always been our main concern to make sure that the building work is undertaken with residents’ needs, care and safety as a priority. Part of this includes maintaining as much bed capacity as possible, so our residents have options when it comes to the building work starting on their home.

“These revised proposals give us those options and a chance to have two homes, designed specifically with resident comfort at their heart, available to us before the rest of the renovation work begins.

“There is still some way to go with the details and timings of these new proposals but we continue to communicate with staff and the families of our residents, so they remain informed as plans progress.”

The revised proposals will now be considered by the relevant Scrutiny Committees and the Council Executive. If approved, the new site will be included within the planning application.