§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of converting residential rooms operated by the Leonard Cheshire Organisation at the Holehird home for the disabled in Windermere to comply with new national care standards. [137922]
§ Dr. LadymanThe national minimum standards for care homes for adults 18 to 65 and those for care homes for older people were introduced in April 2002. It is not possible to estimate the cost for individual care homes of meeting the standards as this will vary from home to home depending on the individual circumstances of the home, including the type of resident cared for and the extent to which it already meets the necessary standards. It is for the National Care Standards Commission to inspect care homes to ensure they meet the assessed needs of their residents.
§ Mr. CollinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposed closure of the Holehird Leonard Cheshire home for the disabled in Windermere. [137924]
§ Dr. LadymanThe decision to close Holehird is an operational one for the Leonard Cheshire Foundation. It is not generally appropriate for central government to intervene when a home closes.
We appreciate how traumatic it can be for vulnerable people who have to be moved from residential care homes which have become their true homes. It is, therefore, important that any decision to close a home is taken as sensitively and appropriately as possible.
Local councils have a responsibility for making satisfactory alternative arrangements for anyone that they place in a home which subsequently closes. There should be adequate time for the safe and satisfactory transfer of all residents to other suitable homes. This should be done in a way that takes into account the views of residents and their relatives and creates the minimum possible discomfort to all concerned.