Pledge on evictions from threatened council care home

Hull Council said residents currently living at Alderson Resource Centre would stay at the home, but long-term plans were for it to become a centre providing short-term intensive support for older people, including those who have had a stroke. However another council-run home, Salingar House, which provides long term and respite care to 11 people with learning disabilities, will close.

A third council-run home, Nicholson House, was saved – for the short term at least – after a vigorous public campaign.

Labour said the plans, agreed as part of £65m budget cuts which also include slashing adult day care centres, were hitting the most vulnerable in society.

Paul Gardiner, whose mother-in-law Mary Deery, 77, is at Nicholson House, presented a petition with more than 2,000 names to the council last week. He said his biggest hope of saving all three homes was at the May elections – where he was going to switch to Labour.

He said residents with severe dementia and often challenging behaviour were getting a service beyond what the private sector could offer: “This fact is evidenced by the large number of residents who have been asked to leave private sector homes and are now resident in a council care home. Not only do the council homes manage to meet the needs of these people, they achieve standards which are to the complete satisfaction of the residents’ relatives.”

Mr Gardiner said he had decided “to ally myself with the people with the biggest social conscience”, adding: “The strength of feeling in this town is unbelievable and I think there will be a big turnout in May.”

Council leader Carl Minns said Alderson Resource Centre would be redeveloped in partnership with the primary care trust. He added: “We are developing different ways of working to help people live independently for longer and have more choice and control over the care they receive.”