Leeds council care home closure consultation into future of Home Lea House in Rothwell and Richmond House in Farsley

Among the many cost-saving proposals under consideration to help balance the books in 2021/22 are the closures of the council-run Home Lea House in Rothwell and Richmond House in Farsley.

A report due to go before the council's Outer West Community Committee next week says that closing Home Lea, a 29-bed long-stay residential home, from February 2022 would deliver savings of £789,000 by the end of 2022/23.

Shutting Richmond House, a 20-bed residential service for short-term care, from November 1 this year would save the council £309,000 in 2021/22 and £742,000 the following year.

In her report, director of adults and health Cath Roff said there was evidence that demand for traditional forms of residential care for older people had continued to reduce as demand grew instead for models of care that provide housing alongside support, such as extra care housing.

She wrote: "There are two in-house care homes in Rothwell and Home Lea House is the older of the two homes, which is why it has been put forward for closure. The current occupancy at Home Lea House is 20 (69 per cent)."

Pointing to the "well-developed independent sector care home market", she said the number of care homes in the city rated as good or outstanding now stands at 84 per cent.

"If a recommendation for closing Home Lea House was made and approved, no-one will have their care taken away or their level of support reduced," she added.

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In the case of Richmond House, the average occupancy over the last year has been 12 people - 60 per cent of its capacity - and the average stay has been 3.5 weeks.

Ms Roff said: "Leeds has a range of services to meet the needs of people who require some type of intervention to either support them to reach their optimum with therapeutic and recovery-focused support to return home or to undertake an assessment to support their longer term needs.

"The Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Community Care Beds contract is now established and provides a greater recovery residential and nursing offer. As such, Richmond House is continually under occupied and the current type of provision can easily be assimilated in wider system provision."

Should the proposal be approved, the council's assessment and transitions social work team would support residents at Home Lea House to move to a suitable alternative care home.

The report said that process would take place from August this year until January 22 next year, with the home then closing on February 1.

Richmond House assessment and transition would take place from August to October this year since it has no permanent residents.

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Online surveys about the proposed closures can be completed here until the consultation ends at 5pm on March 26, with recommendations likely to go before the executive board in June.

Paper copies can be requested by emailing [email protected] or calling 0113 378 3821 (weekdays, 9am-5pm).

The Outer West Community Committee will meet virtually on Monday January 18, 1pm.

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