June 6, 2011 3.18 pm This story is over 167 months old

Lincoln care home staff in redundancy talks

Job losses: Staff at a Lincoln care home earmarked for closure has now entered redundancy talks.

Staff at Lincoln’s Park View residential care home received letters this weekend informing them that consultation on their redundancies starts on Monday, June 6.

Lincolnshire County Council, which runs the care home, announced in January that the home would close in September.

Park View currently provides 21 beds for dementia care and 70 day care sessions per week. The service will now be outsourced to private companies.

Its closure is part of a wider reform of adult care services in Lincolnshire. The authority is seeking to save £2 million from this area over then next two years and a couple of hundred jobs will go as other care homes in the county are closed.

UNISON, a trade union that represents around 2,000 workers at Lincolnshire County Council, reacted angrily.

John Sharman, Lincolnshire Branch Secretary for UNISON, said: “This announcement is a very deliberate slap in the face for everyone—service users, their families, local communities, and the County Council’s own staff.

“Extensive consultation showed massive public support for the high quality care provided in these homes.

“They offer a range of specialist services, including intermediate, respite and day care to some of the most vulnerable older people in society.

“The County Council used to describe its care staff as ‘second to none’. Today it looks set to issue 300 redundancy notices.

“It is ignoring the views of the people of Lincolnshire, and leaving them to the vagaries of the market—at the very time when we are seeing how dangerous that is.

“The people who are responsible for today’s proposals should hang their heads in shame.”

Terry Hawkins, Interim Assistant Director for Adult Social Care, said: “The proposal is for no change to our original schedule for five homes to close in September as alternative services are in place.

“The remaining three homes won’t close until further analysis and work in the market is carried out and suitable alternatives are ready.

“The previous consultation was to do with the change of services and what would be in place when the homes close.

“This current consultation is to do with staff changes. We remain committed to high quality care as we move towards personalisation, giving people more choice and control.”