Petition launched to protect Place Court care home
Monday, 24th January 2011.
A petition to stop Suffolk County Council offloading or closing Place Court care home in Haverhill has been launched.
Haverhill Town Council os setting up the petition on line, but you can already sign it on paper at Haverhill Arts Centre.
Labour group leader Cllr Maureen Byrne said they had 'extreme concerns regarding the transfer or sale to a third party organisation'.
The county council says it has not made any decisions about the future of old people's care homes in Suffolk yet, but the options presented to its cabinet meeting are for closure, sale or transfer.
The town council aims to set up an electronic petition on the county council’s own website to object to any proposals to transfer Place Court from county council management to a third party, or to close it.
For those who prefer to sign a paper version, copies will be available to sign at the Arts Centre reception, between 9am and 5pm, Mondays to Saturdays inclusive.
Cllr Byrne said the Labour group urged all residents, especially those with family or friends in Place Court, to sign the petition.
"We believe we, and our townspeople, as potential future residents of Place Court deserve a better standard of care than that the County ouncil is seeking to achieve through transfer/sale or closure," she said.
"The Quality Care Council, which was established to monitor the standards of care in such homes nationally is moving to a 'lighter touch' inspection regime, and there is already evidence that care home providers can erase a poor inspection report from the record simply by re-registering under a new name.
"Some residents may have seen the recent example on local television of the care home residents given three days notice of their home’s closure by an independent contractor.
"If you do not have access to the web page or cannot visit the Arts Centre, please telephone me on 07970289970 and I will do my best to get a copy of the petition to you."
Haverhill Town Council os setting up the petition on line, but you can already sign it on paper at Haverhill Arts Centre.
Labour group leader Cllr Maureen Byrne said they had 'extreme concerns regarding the transfer or sale to a third party organisation'.
The county council says it has not made any decisions about the future of old people's care homes in Suffolk yet, but the options presented to its cabinet meeting are for closure, sale or transfer.
The town council aims to set up an electronic petition on the county council’s own website to object to any proposals to transfer Place Court from county council management to a third party, or to close it.
For those who prefer to sign a paper version, copies will be available to sign at the Arts Centre reception, between 9am and 5pm, Mondays to Saturdays inclusive.
Cllr Byrne said the Labour group urged all residents, especially those with family or friends in Place Court, to sign the petition.
"We believe we, and our townspeople, as potential future residents of Place Court deserve a better standard of care than that the County ouncil is seeking to achieve through transfer/sale or closure," she said.
"The Quality Care Council, which was established to monitor the standards of care in such homes nationally is moving to a 'lighter touch' inspection regime, and there is already evidence that care home providers can erase a poor inspection report from the record simply by re-registering under a new name.
"Some residents may have seen the recent example on local television of the care home residents given three days notice of their home’s closure by an independent contractor.
"If you do not have access to the web page or cannot visit the Arts Centre, please telephone me on 07970289970 and I will do my best to get a copy of the petition to you."
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