DCC apologises after answer machine tells distressed families to wait for three days over care home closure concerns

A Derbyshire council has apologised for directing distressed families at four closing care homes to an answer machine which advised them to wait up to three days for responses.

On Monday, December 15th, Derbyshire County Council announced to the public, care home residents, their families and staff, that the planned sale of eight care homes to an unnamed provider had fallen through, leaving no choice but to close the facilities.

Family members of affected care home residents have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the announced closures, so close to Christmas, have already caused great distress.

They say this is being compounded by a perceived inability to get answers or clarity over concerns relating to the closures.

One resident referred to this approach as a “stone wall of silence”.

A helpline for issues distributed by the county council was an unmanned answerphone machine which asked callers to leave a message and, due to a “high volume” of calls, to wait up to three working days for a response.

As of this article’s publication, there are four working days left before Christmas.

Following enquiries by the LDRS the council has now apologised and changed what is still an automated response which advises callers to leave a message and for a call back to be made “as soon as we can”.

A spokesperson stressed that calls have been returned on the same day messages were received, and extra resources have been put in place to ensure this.

This is the third time in just over a year – under two different administrations – that helplines have directed to automated phone lines.

In September last year, a county council phone line for parents of children with special educational needs also reached an automated answerphone, advising not to call, while in October a number for pothole compensation queries also went to an automated phone line advising not to call.

The eight council-run care homes in Ashbourne, Bolsover, Borrowash, Castle Gresley, Eckington, Long Eaton, Shirebrook, Swadlincote and Swanwick had been declared surplus to requirements and put up for sale last year by the former Conservative administration.

However, the intended sale to a sole private provider is now said to have fallen through at the 11th hour and the authority, now run by Reform, has now decided to close the homes, with no evidence of alternative options either being explored or being available.

Jo Linthwaite, a Derbyshire Dales district councillor, has a 97-year-old aunt who lives in The Leys care home in Ashbourne.

Her aunt, who has lived in The Leys for seven years, is said to have been significantly “distressed” at the thought of being moved away from her care home friends and staff she has formed a bond with over the Christmas period.

Cllr Linthwaite, who represents the Matlock East and Tansley ward, said: “Residents have already faced uncertainty for over a year and they have now been told they need to find another home.

“It is absolutely appalling. This is an absolute foul-up of the worst order, and we have elderly people who feel absolutely abandoned.

“The staff have been doing a fantastic job. What else are they supposed to do? They will all want to start looking for jobs themselves.

“We are not blaming staff, but the big wigs, the cabinet members who made this decision.

“It is an absolute basket case.”

Cllr Joss Barnes, cabinet member for adult care, said: “I understand how upsetting this news has been for families and I’d like to say again how sorry I am to all our residents, families and care colleagues.

“The timing of the announcement couldn’t have been worse and although we had to let people know what had happened as soon as we could, there is no fixed timetable for the next steps and we’ll work with residents and their families to support them.

“We phoned all the families affected, and this was followed up with a letter. We’ve also been making follow-up calls to offer support following the difficult news.

“The health and wellbeing of our residents, their families and friends, and our valued colleagues, is our top priority and we will continue to do everything we can to support them.

“We apologise that the automated voicemail message led people to believe they would have to wait three days for a call back. 

“We’ve been calling them back on the same day and we’re putting extra resources into ensuring we continue to get back to people quickly.

“If families have any concerns or queries, our care home managers are also on hand to support.”

The eight council-run care homes which were up for sale were:

• The Leys, Ashbourne
• Thomas Colledge, Bolsover
• Briar Close, Borrowash
• Castle Court, Castle Gresley
• The Grange, Eckington
• Lacemaker Court, Long Eaton
• New Bassett House, Shirebrook
• Rowthorne, Swanwick

In response to the care home closures, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, speaking in Parliament, called the decision “deeply concerning”, saying the Government had announced extra funding for council social care.

Labour MPs Linsey Farnsworth, Adam Thompson and John Whitby have hit out at the closures, dubbing them “heartbreaking”, criticising spending elsewhere and for cutting core services.

Cllr Alex Dale, leader of the Conservative opposition group, said: “The previous Conservative administration took a difficult but necessary decision to sell the council’s remaining care homes as going concerns. 

“That decision would have saved around £6 million a year and generated vital capital receipts, while crucially allowing residents to remain in their homes and staff to continue in their jobs under new ownership.

“We were clear throughout that this was about securing the future of these homes, not shutting them down. 

“There was strong interest from credible care providers willing to take them on and continue operating them, and a preferred bidder was identified on that basis.

“We are deeply disappointed that the sale has now fallen through, and the timing of this news so close to Christmas is particularly distressing for residents, their families and staff, who are now facing completely unnecessary anxiety at what should be a time of reassurance and stability.

“We are urging the Reform UK administration to work flat out to find a new buyer and keep these homes open as going concerns. 

“Closure should only ever be a last resort, and only after every single other available option has been actively pursued and genuinely exhausted, not the first response when difficulties arise. 

“We’re extremely disappointed that this appears to be the first conclusion Reform have immediately landed on and so they need to think again.”