Review axe hanging over Angus care home

ARBROATH: Anger as 48-resident Seaton Grove facility closure threat revealed

An Angus care home could shut under a review of facilities in the county.

Options including closing or privatising Seaton Grove Care Home in Arbroath have been raised by a specialist review team who argue the facility requires repairs and upgrades that would cost £1 million.

It has a capacity for 48 residents with 10 respite places and a staff of 60.

Angus South SNP MSP Graeme Dey slammed the proposals saying the issues at the home “didn’t just emerge”.

“Why are residents, their families and the staff suddenly having this thrust upon them?”

Arbroath SNP councillor Brenda Durno claimed that the process had been “shrouded in secrecy”.

A spokesperson for the partnership, which includes Angus Council and NHS Tayside, which runs the home, confirmed the review was under way.

He said: “The future of Seaton Grove is being considered, although it is important to state that no conclusions have been reached or decisions taken.”

An Angus care home is facing the threat of closure as management seeks to balance the books.

Seaton Grove care home in Arbroath, which is one of three run by Angus Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP), is estimated to require an investment of £1 million to bring it up to scratch.

A leaked report seen by The Courier argues the organisation, which includes Angus Council and NHS Tayside, faces a double whammy of financial constraint and steadily increasing demand.

The report concludes possible outcomes for the unit include closure, or handing it over to a private or thirdsector organisation.

Other options for the unit, which was built in the 1980s, include a reduction in provision offered and further analysis of care home arrangements in the county, or the development of an improvement plan.

A special Residential Review Group set up by the AHSCP has found the facility, which has a capacity for 48 residents with 10 respite places and a staff of 60, is not cost effective when compared to third- and private-sector cares homes, and that the gap cannot be closed by making internal efficiencies.

Angus South SNP MSP Graeme Dey criticised themoveafter being contacted by angry constituents.

He said: “I have been contacted by a number of families who have loved ones in Seaton Grove and who are very angry over the threat to the facility and question mark that has left hanging over the future care arrangements for their family members.

“How we, as a society, look after our elderly and vulnerable citizens is hugely important. So why is it we handle care delivery in Angus in such a cack-handed way?

“The facilities issue at Seaton Grove didn’t just emerge. It had to have been known about for years, so where was the horizon scanning and forward planning?

“And all of this of course follows the poorly-handled remodelling of home care services across the county.”

A spokesperson for Angus Health and Social Care Partnership: “We are currently conducting a review of residential care provision for older people in Angus.

“The review is evaluating the quality of care provided and the suitability of our premises, as well as the effectiveness of our service delivery models and financial efficiency.

“As a part of this, the future of Seaton Grove is being considered, although it is important to state that no conclusions have been reached or decisions taken.

“Staff have been, and will continue to be, informed and updated in relation to this review process. AHSCP is also engaging with service users, their families, trade unions, elected members and other key stakeholders.

“Any final decision taken in relation to Seaton Grove and its service provision will be made by the Angus Integration Joint Board.”

A further update is expected next month.