Hazel Garth Care Home: Wakefield Council confirms care home closure is temporary after 'unsettling rumours'
Wakefield Council has apologised after six residents had to be moved from a care home for people with dementia.
Hazel Garth Care Home, in Knottingley, closed last week for essential maintenance – prompting concerns from both residents and staff about its future.
However, after talks with union bosses, the authority confirmed yesterday (May 29) that the closure will only be temporary and that staff jobs are safe.
Jo Webster, Corporate Director of Adults, Health and Communities at the council, said: “We’re sorry that we’ve had to make the difficult decision to move those we’ve been caring for at Hazel Garth to alternative accommodation.
“The safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care homes will always be our top priority. That has always been at the heart of every decision we’ve made. And at the moment we can provide a higher level of care in alternative settings.”
She added: “Hazel Garth Care Home is not permanently closing. We remain committed to care provision on the site. As we support the six residents in settling into their new homes, our focus will then be continuing to work closely with our staff and the trade unions to put arrangements in place that will help us provide the best level of care at Hazel Garth going forward.”
The council said that the decision to temporarily close the 24-bed home, on Hazel Road, was to “provide the best level of safe care for residents” – following concerns over the physical condition of the building and staff availability.
Since the decision was taken, the council said it worked with the families of six residents to successfully find new homes. The authority also confirmed that the building will reopen – and that there will be no compulsory redundancies as part of the temporary closure.
Unison entered into discussions with the authority soon after the closure was announced. Sam Greenwood, the secretary of the union’s Wakefield branch, said: “Rumours around the future of Hazel Garth have been very unsettling. There’s been uncertainty for residents and staff alike.
“That’s why it’s been so encouraging that the leader of Wakefield Council engaged in proper talks with Unison, and the union has been able to secure guarantees on the care home’s future, putting the speculation to bed.”