More time to have your say on future of Crowborough's Hookstead Centre
By crowboro_lee | Thursday, August 11, 2011, 09:21
East Sussex County Council has extended the time that residents can comment on plans to close Hookstead, for another 30 days, until September 9.
It says it will give people more time to have their say, especially if they have been away over the holiday season.
Part of me thinks there could be more to this - where they perhaps challenged legally for what they were thinking of doing? Hookstead in Crowborough is owned by the Council and provides day services (20 places) and residential respite services for up to 22 older people.
It says the quality of care is high but the building does not meet Care Quality Commission requirements.
The consultation is about closing Hookstead and buying the respite services from the independent sector, with day services moving to the Bellbrook Centre in Uckfield.
Most of the people who use Hookstead come from a wide area including Eastbourne, Seaford, Peacehaven, Uckfield, Heathfield and Hastings.
Reports on Hookstead will go to Cabinet in October 2011.
Anybody can take part in the Hookstead consultation.
The decision to go ahead with the consultations was made at Council Cabinet on Tuesday 5 July 2011.
Have your say by logging on here:
http://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/yourcouncil/pressoffice/pressreleases/2011/08/3308.htm
Comments
Result of this consultation is that the respite services are to go - and the day services are to stay (for now).
Here's the report from the council's website:
The Council agreed on the way ahead for Hookstead in Crowborough yesterday (11 October).
The home is a residential respite care unit and it also provides day services for older people.
Following a recent two-month consultation the Cabinet decided to keep day services open until a further report to Cabinet in January 2012. This will look at the best place for care accommodation and services in the Crowborough area. The original proposal had been to locate day services to the Bellbrook Centre in Uckfield, but it was clear from the public consultation there were other options available.
The residential respite service will close at Hookstead. The building was built in the 1970s and the bedrooms are not up to modern standards. There are alternative providers in the area from the independent sector which offer better value and a wider range of services. It is also clear that users of Hookstead come from a very wide area, beyond Crowborough, so in the future services can be commissioned (purchased) nearer to them.
The report to Cabinet acknowledged that there was local support to keep the Hookstead residential service open but this was not possible within the resources available, particularly as there are other providers. Any money saved can be used to buy services from the independent or voluntary sector, offering people more choice and control.
Councillor Bill Bentley, the Lead Member for Adult Social Care, said:
"We have had to make some difficult decisions to ensure that we are able to provide the best possible services, either directly or through the independent and voluntary sector. We believe that by making the right decisions now we will be in a position to meet the the needs of a growing elderly population in the most effective way in the future. It is not just about saving money. It is about making sure that we give people more choice and control and that we are in a position to sustain a quality service for years to come".
Hookstead in Crowborough is a residential care unit in Crowborough owned and operated by the Council. It provides 20 day service places for older people with dementia and 22 respite/short-term beds.
Public consultation on Hookstead took place from 12 July 2011 until 9 September 2011.
By crowboro_lee at 20:02 on 13/10/11
Report