Decision to recommend closure of Blackburn Lodge care home on Sheppey dubbed 'shameful'
A decision to recommend closure of a residential care home has been described as “shameful and disappointing” by opponents of the proposal. Blackburn Lodge on the Isle of Sheppey has been under threat since it was shut after ferrous metals were found to have contaminated its water supply.
Residents were relocated last November and Kent County Council (KCC) proposed to shut the home as the £4m cost of refurbishment was considered too costly at a time when its finances are under extreme stress. But campaigners have been battling to keep the 34-bed facility open, afraid the Island’s old and vulnerable people would be under-served without it.
The issue was raised during a KCC debate, triggered by a petition signed by more than 2,800 people, at County Hall on Thursday (September 19). KCC-owned Blackburn Lodge in Sheerness has provided residential, respite and day care services since it was opened in 1982.
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The decision by the KCC Adult Social Care (ASC) cabinet committee to recommend closure did not come as a shock to opponents. The cabinet member for adult social care, Cllr Dan Watkins, will make the final decision.
Cllr Elliot Jayes (Swale Inds), who represents Sheppey Central on Swale Borough Council, said later: “The decision is shameful and disappointing but it does not come as a surprise. Of course, it’s not just the residents who lost out but also 33 people who lost their jobs as well.
“The staff went beyond and above for the elderly people who wished to live the rest of their days on the Island but were forced to move out. They went to visit the residents in their own time as they had become like a family.
“We also want to alleviate issues with getting people out of hospitals and back into the community but closing care homes stops this from happening.” A KCC spokesperson was keen to stress closure is not a foregone conclusion and added: “I can confirm this remains a proposal until the cabinet member takes an executive decision.”
Swale councillor Dolley Wooster, who opened the debate, was critical at the KCC’s alleged lack of engagement with local campaigners. She also asked why opponents had not been allowed access to Blackburn Lodge to independently assess its condition.
Cllr Wooster said: “It must stay where it is.” Members of the ASC committee voiced concerns about the closure.
Independent Sheppey KCC member Mike Whiting argued a condition of closure should be that an alternative facility be found first. Liberal Democrat Sevenoaks member Richard Streatfield said: “I don’t want to find that Blackburn Lodge has in a year’s time been sold for a stack of money.”
He also questioned the £4m price tag for refurbishment. Cllr Dan Watkins explained that aside from the issues over iron being found in the water supply, Blackburn Lodge may also have a subsidence problem as well as having to meet higher Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards to reopen.
He said KCC, the borough council and others are working to find alternatives to serve the local community. In a statement, he added: “I know the proposal to permanently close Blackburn Lodge will be a disappointment to some and I want to reassure that it is not being put forward without detailed consideration.
“A lot of time has been spent assessing consultation feedback and the options available. However, in the face of KCC needing to make £118m savings this financial year to balance the budget and protect statutory services in the future, it is sadly our conclusion that permanent closure is the only feasible outcome.
“Works to bring Blackburn Lodge up to current Care Quality Commission Standards (CQC), tackle subsidence and replace the building’s entire water pipe system, would cost in excess of £4m and take at least 13 months to complete. The CQC has also confirmed the layout of Blackburn Lodge, which provided ‘medium-level’ needs care, would not meet the current standards for registration as a care home if it were to be built now.
“It means that aside from the major structural works, the building would require significant reconfiguration and upgrade to provide ‘high needs’ dementia and nursing care – which is the level of care that today’s Sheppey residents require and we are working, with partners, to provide.”