I have submitted the following statement to the Council's consultation on whether or not to close Kiln Court care home in Faversham. I have also written to the council, along with two other Kent MPs - Helen Grant and Tracey Crouch - asking them to look again at the future of both Kiln Court and the Dorothy Lucy Centre in Maidstone. You can read the letter by clicking the attachment below.
Kent County Council is consulting on the potential closure of two care homes in Kent, one of which is Kiln Court in Faversham.
Knowing that Kiln Court is greatly valued by people in Faversham, I have recently had a meeting with Cllr Graham Gibbens, the KCC councillor responsible for Social Care, and visited the care home.
I recognise that KCC is aiming to update care services to cope with the changing needs of the population, especially the growing number of people with dementia, and also faces significant financial pressures. They rightly want to use limited resources effectively, and I welcome their pledge to keep services local.
However, I am very concerned at the proposal to close Kiln Court. Kiln Court offers valuable services to people from Faversham and the surrounding area, particularly respite care, which enables carers to have a much needed break from the demands of caring, and short term rehabilitation.
Though it is not currently fully utilised, there is the question of whether Kiln Court has been run down in recent months, and to the extent that it is not equipped or staffed to meet the increasing need for nursing care, there is an opportunity to upgrade it to do so.
I am not convinced that private sector providers in the area are ready to offer these services in lieu of Kiln Court. Although I am not against commissioning from private sector providers in principle, the consultation document I have seen does not provide me with reassurance that there is either capacity or enthusiasm among private sector providers to do so.
The consultation also lacks any forecasts of future demand, and the means by which this will be met in the event of closure.
I therefore call on KCC to:
1. Fully explore the option of upgrading the Kiln Court. As part of this work, I urge KCC to consider partnership options, for instance, working together with the NHS (recognising there is a shortage of community beds in the area), with a third sector organisation, or with the private sector, as well as continuing with the current KCC-operated model.
2. Develop much more specific details of what alternative services would be provided in the event of closure, including where they will provided, by whom, and at what scale, before returning to consult residents.
3. Make a firm commitment, in the event of a decision to close one or both care homes, that there will be no closure until satisfactory alternative provision is available in the local area. There should also be consultation with residents on the future use of the site.
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