Mencap condemns Wirral Council care home closures

Wirral Mencap has joined forces with mental health organisation Family Tree in a bid to halt the closure of two Wirral care homes.

Maplehome in Birkenhead and Fernleigh in Leasowe are among five care homes earmarked for closure to save the local authority £2.7m.

Pensall House in Pensby, Poulton House in Wallasey and Meadowcoft in Bromborough are also on the hit list along with a four-bedroomed residential home in Manor Road, Wallasey.

Maplehome, due to close late next month, provides respite for adults with learning difficulties while Fernliegh is a respite service for adults with mental health problems.

Wirral Council which claims the closure plan is based on priorities set by the public in a majorconsultation exercise, has assured families that support would continue to be provided.

Gwen Seller, chairwoman of Wirral Mencap, said: “We are writing to all elected members to ask them to delay closure of both respite services because we believe the policy decision taken in December was taken on the basis of a flawed process – the Wirral Your Future questionnaire.

“We also believe the speed of implementation of the closures precludes any reasoned or meaningful discussion with service users and their families about how their needs will be met.”

She said legal advice had been taken and they were waiting to see if a legal challenge could be made against the closures.

Staff at the homes have been offered voluntary redundancy. The remainder will be redeployed to other roles.

Other changnes to adult services in Wirral – to achieve a saving of £10m this year – include a reduction in fees paid to care homes, to bring Wirral into line with other councils.

Labour group leader Cllr Steve Foulkes claimed that the ruling Tory/Lib-Dem coalition had made the closure decision “on a wing and a prayer.”

He said: “The claim that we have a voluntary sector ready, willing and able to take over is a myth.”

A council spokesman said: “We are not making any members of staff redundant through these proposals. They have chosen to leave through early voluntary retirement or severance. Remaining staff will be offered redeployment elsewhere in the council.

“This does mean, however, that in some cases we would no longer have enough staff to run the home.

“The council has put together a team of skilled professionals who are supporting people to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible and ensure that they are able to exercise choice and control over how they receive their future care and support.”