Care homes to close after sale falls through

Derbyshire County Council says the residents of several of its care homes will be "supported to find new homes" after plans to sell the properties fell through.

The Reform UK-run authority said "intensive negotiations" with a provider to take over the running of the eight homes as a going concern had ended with no sale agreed.

The authority had agreed in principle for a single provider to take over the running of the homes as part of long-running plans to offload council-run homes to save money and remodel adult care services.

It is understood there will be no immediate impact to services but the council will work to find private placements for residents as soon as possible.

Joss Barnes, cabinet member for adult care, said: "Selling all the homes as a going concern was our intention, to ensure continuity for our residents and security for our colleagues.

"This was always our aim and I am extremely sad to have to make this announcement. Work will now be undertaken to support our residents to find new homes.

"The health and wellbeing of our residents, their families and friends and our valued colleagues, is our top priority and we will continue to do everything we can to support them through this difficult time."

Barnes also apologised to residents for the "extremely upsetting news" coming so close to Christmas.

It is understood the council was notified of the prospective buyer pulling out on Friday afternoon.

The council had agreed to sell the homes in November 2024 under the previous Conservative administration.

The homes up for sale were:

• Briar Close, Borrowash
• Castle Court, Swadlincote
• The Grange, Eckington
• Lacemaker Court, Long Eaton
• The Leys, Ashbourne
• New Bassett House, Shirebrook
• Rowthorne, Swanwick
• Thomas Colledge, Bolsover

No final date has been agreed for when the residents will need to have left the homes.

Residents and their families are being contacted by council officers to inform them of the outcome of negotiations with the provider and discuss new placements.

Council officers will carry out assessments of each resident to identify the most suitable private providers.

While the costs of the placements will be subject to negotiation, it is understood council leaders are committed to ensuring residents' costs are covered.

The precise details of why alternative providers are not being considered to keep the homes operating are yet to emerge.

However, the BBC has been told that previous plans to keep the homes operating by selling them as a going concern will now not happen in part due to a focus on the council's transition to providing specialised dementia care instead of general residential services.

Leaders say they are "confident" placements will be found for residents in their local area.

However, the leader of the Derbyshire Conservatives Alex Dale said he was "deeply disappointed" by the news and urged the council to rethink the decision and find a new provider to keep the homes operating.

"The previous Conservative administration took a difficult but necessary decision to sell the council's remaining care homes as going concerns... while crucially allowing residents to remain in their homes and staff to continue in their jobs under new ownership," he said.

"There was strong interest from credible care providers willing to take them on and continue operating them, and a preferred bidder was identified on that basis.

"Closure should only ever be a last resort, and only after every single other available option has been actively pursued and genuinely exhausted, not the first response when difficulties arise.

"Residents, families and staff deserve better than this, and the council should be doing everything possible to keep these homes open under a new provider."

Another of the county council's care homes, Ada Belfield in Belper, is currently being marketed as a going concern and will not be impacted. The council plans to offer it for lease and retain the building.

Senior council leaders will meet later to be briefed on the collapse of the sale of the eight homes and discuss next steps.

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