County Council decision on future shape of care services

Proposals for the future of the county council’s remaining in-house care homes and for closer working with health partners have been agreed by Cabinet following two public consultations.

On Thursday 20th February 2025, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet agreed recommendations designed to support its intention to create an effective and sustainable care service focusing on:

• Specialist residential, respite and day services to support the growing number of people living with dementia and their carers.
• Short-term reablement and assessment to help more Derbyshire residents live independently at home.
• Closer working with health partners to improve flow through the health and care system, including an increase in the number of community support beds (CSB) – known as hospital discharge beds.

Cabinet made its decision after considering a report following feedback given during the consultations, including from NHS partners.

Members were told of the decline in demand for traditional residential care and the need for more specialist care for the growing number of people in Derbyshire with dementia.

They also heard of the continuing backdrop of financial pressures faced by the authority, and councils across the country, including inflation, meeting the cost of the national pay award and rising demand for social care.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult care Councillor Natalie Hoy said: “We know more people want to remain living independently in their own homes for as long as possible and we need to adapt to changes in demand so we can support more Derbyshire people to do that.

“In 2022/23 across Derby and Derbyshire, 75% of people stayed in hospital longer than they needed to, highlighting the need to focus on helping people get home when they’re ready, which with the right support they can.

“There’s also a need for more specialist care for the growing number of people with dementia.

“By remodelling our in-house care services we aim to help even more people to live at home by supporting them to come home from hospital, prevent unnecessary hospital admission and help people with more complex needs by creating wraparound care for those with dementia – including overnight respite and day breaks – which will help support carers.

“These changes will help us create a sustainable care service able to help those who need us most.”

Cabinet agreed the recommendations following two further public consultations – one on two options for proposed changes to three of its remaining in-house care homes and a second into closer working with health partners through a legal agreement called a Section 75.

Almost 800 people responded to the consultation into the future proposals for the Ada Belfield Centre, Staveley Centre and Thomas Fields, with three petitions also received.

More than 350 responses were received on closer integration with Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS).

The recommendations approved by Cabinet were:

• The council ceases to operate long-term residential and respite care at The Staveley Centre and Thomas Fields, enabling the council to repurpose them to focus on community support beds only, known as hospital discharge beds.
• To offer the Ada Belfield Centre for transfer on the open market as a going concern for a period of up to eight weeks. The library would not be affected.
• Noting the intention to move forward and explore entering into a Section 75 agreement with DCHS.

Councillor Hoy said: “People tell us they want to remain living independently in their own homes which has led to a decline in demand for traditional residential care and a rise in demand for specialist care, including nursing care which we’re not legally allowed to provide.

“By the time people require care they often have more complex needs, including dementia, which means we need to adapt our services to help support them.

“Supporting the health and care system through closer working with health partners is vital if we’re to help even more people remain at home. There are also benefits to single-model care services, which offer either short-term enablement care or long-term and respite dementia care, both in terms of people’s outcomes and increased effectiveness.

“Under a mixed care model we can have an 18-year-old who needs rehabilitation following a hospital stay in the same building as a long-term resident with dementia, which isn’t ideal for either person.”

Councillor Hoy added: “I recognise this is a difficult time for our residents and their families and I would like to assure them their health and wellbeing remains our top priority and we will do everything we can to support them throughout this time.

“I would also like to assure the Belper community that the library would not be affected by any changes.

“Like all other councils across the country we’re facing increasing financial pressures and, with demand for adult social care support rising, we have to consider how we continue to deliver the services we’re required to.”