Hockley care home for 25 must close

A BIRMINGHAM care home run by a charity has announced it is being forced to close next month after negotiations with Birmingham City Council broke down over money.

Victor Yates Care Home, in Hockley, which is run by Heart of England Care, has provided nursing care for 25 elderly patients since the charity was formed in 1990.

It is not affected by the proposed shake-up of daycare centre provision but charity bosses, who leased the first floor above a residential care home run by social services, said the home would have to close because the city council was shutting down its ground-floor service and they could not afford the price which is being offered to use the whole building.

“Victor Yates has been a home for 25 residents and moving to a new home will be difficult and painful for them,” said a Heart of England Care spokesman.

“The council’s proposals for our continued occupation of the building would have resulted in both a substantial increase in our current property costs and reduction in resident numbers leading to a massive loss of income. This would make it impossible to operate the home.

“In 2007, Birmingham City Council adopted a new commissioning strategy for older people that involved the closure of most of the council’s residential care homes, including the one housed in our building.”

Charity bosses were trying to find a solution with council managers to continue using the building but the Commission of Social Care Inspection said the nursing home could not continue to operate on the first floor with the ground floor vacated, unless Heart of England Care expanded its services to the lower floor.

Coun Sue Anderson, cabinet member for adults and communities, said: “The ground floor of Victor Yates, which was run as an elderly persons’ care home by the city council, does not meet Commission for Social Care Inspection standards.

“Unfortunately, despite lengthy negotiations, we have been unable to reach a sound financial agreement.”