Minnis Community Hub day services and residents from under threat Wayfarers home could be moved to Westbrook House

Westbrook House

Kent County Council (KCC) has launched an eight–week consultation about the future of services for older people at Minnis Community Hub.

KCC is looking at options for the day service at Minnis Community Hub and is asking for the views of service users.

The council is proposing to move the day service from the hub to Westbrook House Integrated Care Centre, which provides care for frail older adults and older adults living with dementia.

Learning Disability services will continue at the Minnis Community Hub

Westbrook House is in Canterbury Road, Margate. In June last year NHS staff were withdrawn from the centre and the upper floor has remained used ever since.

Respite, rehabilitation and intermediate, residential and nursing care to older people is run by Kent County Council at the site,

The reorganisation of the service last year resulted in the Victoria Unit, which offers assessment facilities and intermediate care to frail older people, moving to the lower floor

‘Keen to hear views’

.Clair Bell, Cabinet Member for the Adult Social Care and Public Health, said:  “Kent County Council is committed to finding a way forward for services at Minnis Community Hub that ensure we are providing the best possible care for people while making the best use of the centre as a valued community asset.

“We are keen to hear the views of people using the service, their families, staff and the wider community and I urge them all to take part in this consultation.”

During the consultation, KCC will be meeting with people who use the service, their families and staff to gather their views and answer any questions.

The consultation information and an online questionnaire will be available at kent.gov.uk/minnisconsultation.

Alternatively, collect a paper form and a freepost envelope available from Minnis Community Hub and Westbrook House or libraries in Birchington, Westgate-on-Sea or Margate.  Send completed forms to: Consultation Team, Adult Social Care and Health, Kent County Council, Invicta House, Maidstone, ME14 1XX.

For any queries, call 03000 422557 or email [email protected].

The consultation period runs from today (September 25) to November 20.

Wayfarers care home

A further proposal will be discussed on Friday by county councillors over plans to move residents from Wayfarers residential home in Sandwich, which faces imminent closure, to Westbrook House.

Wayfarer’s has 14 residents and 51 staff.

A document for members of the county council Adult Social Care Cabinet Committee says: “Westbrook House Care Centre is a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) building in which KCC has use of 45 beds (3 units of 15 beds, each with communal areas and lounges). KCC currently delivers services in two of the three units.

“If the closure of Wayfarers is approved, those residents wishing to move to Westbrook House, could largely keep their current care staff, thereby ensuring continuity of care. They would be relocated to a more modern, spacious accommodation, where a wider range of support services and facilities than they currently enjoy, would be available.

“This proposal would also help retain the majority of staff from Wayfarers and would ensure continuing high-level care and support is provided to the residents. Those opting to move elsewhere would be fully supported in doing so.”

1 Comment

  1. Oh no! Not another “public consultation”!
    Kent County Council held a “Public Consultation” on closing the Wayfarers home in Sandwich but just ignored the public support for the home and are carrying on with closure. The local Sandwich Town Council supported a Labour proposal that Wayfarers should not be closed until a proper replacement was in existence. That looks like it will be ignored and the closure will go ahead with no alternative provision in the Sandwich area at all.
    In fairness to the local Tory councillors who are supporting these closures, they seem to have little choice. Their own Party in Westminster has so deprived Councils of the money to run their towns properly, that closures of all kinds of local services-like Youth Clubs, Libraries, Care Homes etc- are completely predictable. But, at least, the local Tory representatives should have the honesty to admit their own Party is putting them-and us-through this misery rather than try to present a shabby deal as some kind of “good idea”!

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