Unions call for Welsh care home closure probe

Two trade unions have called for an independent investigation into the closure of a Ceredigion residential home which has left 40 staff facing redundancy.

The council-run Awel Deg home in Llandysul was closed in February following the suspension of 11 members of staff and concerns about standards of care.

The GMB and Unison now want to talk to councillors about their concerns.

Ceredigion council, who intend to re-open the home as a dementia care centre,
said it could not comment until after a formal staff meeting due to held today.

The GMB and Unison unions claim senior council officers have refused to respond to their case for keeping staff employed in readiness for the re-opening.

The unions said it would be “unfair and counter-productive” to make staff redundant because of “costs associated with redundancy pay, the recruitment and re-training of new staff and the cost of the wage bill when the home re-opens”.

Unison regional organiser, Jeff Baker (pictured), said: “The staff could be temporarily employed into existing vacancies and supernumerary positions.

“As well as no extra cost this would mean that they would be trained in readiness to move into the home as soon as it is opened.”

A Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales report in May last year criticised the home because “there was no structured activities programme being provided to people residing at the home”.

The report added: “The impact for people using the service is that they are under-stimulated, uninterested and not fulfilled.”

Mr Baker said the unions’ call for an independent investigation “would allow all staff to speak out freely regarding their concerns about the running of the home including decisions and actions taken by all those that have been involved at every level of the council”.

A Ceredigion council spokesman said the local authority had noted the unions’ request and is “continuing to work with the union on a way forward”.