City of York Council's Woolnough House care home could close

City care bosses have revealed today they are in talks about closing Woolnough House, near Tang Hall Lane.

Residents and their families along with care home staff were given the news yesterday, the council’s Jo Bell said, and were “as positive as they could be”.

The home has 12 permanent residents, and if the closure goes ahead Woolnough House would follow city council homes Willow House, Oakhaven, Grove House, Fordlands and Oliver House which have all closed in the last five year.

Ms Bell, head of service for older people’s homes, said the move is part of City of York's wider plan to close all but one of its residential care homes, which it says are no longer "fit for purpose", and overhaul housing for older people across the city providing more extra care housing so people can stay in their own homes, and getting more privately run nursing homes.

Woolnough House was chosen to be the next in the process because it is relatively small, only one current resident has already had to move because of other closures, and the site could be easily sold for redevelopment.

Although the quality of care at Woolnough House is not in question care bosses said the building lacks adequate social spaces, most rooms do not have private bathrooms, and the corridors are narrow. The space makes it particularly hard to meet modern care standards for people who are overweight or obese, they added.

Some of the 12 Woolnough residents could move into new extra care homes currently being built at Glen Lodge, or they may move into private nursing or dementia care homes, or into the council’s own Haxby Hall.

A review manager will talk to all of them about their needs and where they might move to, Ms Bell said, and an exact closure date will depend on when residents move out into new accommodation.

Michael Melvin, the authority's assistant director for adult social care, said: “We recognise that this consultation process can be an unsettling and upsetting one and will be working closely with the residents and their families, to make sure they have the support and advice they need.

“Our residents are of paramount importance and the actions we take now will ensure that they – and future generations - will have the best possible quality of life and ensure that we can meet the needs of York’s ageing population.

Woolnough House also has 12 “step down” beds for people who need extra care when they leave hospital, or while they wait for a care package in their own home. Those beds, as well as the short breaks and respite provision at Woolnough, will have to be “spot purchased” in private sector homes if Woolnough closes.

Mr Melvin added: “Residents and staff at Woolnough House are rightly proud of their home, however, it is vital that we keep the aims of the wider older persons’ accommodation programme in sight."

A consultation will run over the next six weeks, before councillors on the executive committee decide whether to push ahead with the closure.

Even though five home closures have already gone through, care bosses said they could not speculate on or pre-empt the final decision. If it does close, the site could go on the open market, but project manager Roy Wallington also said the council would look into redeveloping it as specialist housing for disabled people, or looked-after children.

Of the five council homes which have closed in the last five years, Oliver House is being redeveloped by retirement home specialists McCarthy and Stone, while Fordlands has been bought by Octopus Healthcare which plans a new 62 bed care home on the site. Plans are being drawn up for more “extra care” housing on the site of Oakhaven care home in Acomb, Grove House has been sold to housing developer Norstar, and Willow House is currently on the market.

In the next year, Mr Wallington and Ms Bell said they expect to start consultations on closing the remaining Windsor House and Morrell House, while they hope Haxby Hall will be sold as a "going concern" to another care home company.