Legal action launched against council plan to privatise dementia care homes in Kirklees
Kirklees Council made the final decision to transfer its last two dementia care homes, at Claremont House in Heckmondwike and Castle Grange in Newsome, to the private sector back in February.
Campaigners have launched High Court legal action in a bid to stop Kirklees Council from privatising its last two long-stay dementia care homes.
Kirklees Council made the final decision to transfer its last two dementia care homes, at Claremont House in Heckmondwike and Castle Grange in Newsome, to the private sector back in February. This came despite masses of opposition from families with loved ones residing in the homes, as well as the public and councillors from across the political spectrum.
An earlier decision to proceed with privatisation had already been ‘called-in’ for scrutiny by eight opposition councillors who had concerns over the openness and transparency of the financial rationale underpinning it. But this wasn’t enough to stop Cabinet from pushing ahead with the plan.
Now it has emerged that impacted families have instructed expert public law and human rights lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate their concerns over the proposals. They argue that while the decision was stated to have been made on a financial basis, there remains a lack of evidence to support this.
The group, which “will not rest” until the threat of privatisation and closure is lifted from the care homes, have repeatedly stated that they haven’t been fully consulted throughout the planning process and are calling for this to be rectified.
The current legal challenge comes after campaigners successfully fought an initial proposal in 2023 to close the homes, which ultimately saw the council backtrack. Irwin Mitchell has now applied to the High Court for a judicial review to be held examining the legality of the council’s latest proposal.
Rebecca Chapman, the specialist public law and human rights lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the campaigners, said: “Local authority-run care homes provide vital care and support to a number of people, particularly those living with dementia.
“Many of those affected by the planned business transfer of Claremont House and Castle Grange have voiced their anger and disappointment at how they feel the council has acted throughout the process. We’ve heard first-hand accounts from families who say the decision will have a significant impact on their loved ones.
“We previously wrote to Kirklees Council to this effect, but privatisation is still set to go ahead. We’ve therefore now applied for a judicial review.”
Both Claremont House and Castle Grange can cater for up to 40 residents each. One of whom, affected by the changes is 90-year-old Brenda Hughes. She has been at Castle Grange for seven years after suffering a fall.
Brenda has late-stage mixed dementia. Her son Adrian Pygott, 62, is deeply worried of the effect that privatising the care home will have on his mother, as well as the other residents.
He said: “My mother has high emotional needs and can become upset and distressed at the slightest change in her routine. She also has a range of complex physical needs. The care provided by the staff at Castle Grange is exemplary and I’m greatly concerned at the thought of this being taken away from her or, even worse, her having to move homes.
“My mother isn’t the only one, however, and I worry that the disruption will have grave consequences for the other residents too.
“Those of us campaigning have our loved ones’ interests at the centre of it all, but it seems clear that the Council don’t. They claim the decision is in the best financial interests of Kirklees residents, but there are so many gaps in the evidence they’ve provided.
“What we want is for the needs of the residents to be considered carefully and for the council to rethink their plans, but this hasn’t happened, so we have no choice but to take legal action.”