The following mail was sent to all six party leaders at Stockton  Borough Council

To, Party Leaders Stockton Borough Council,
Mr R. Gibson, Mr K. Lupton, MsM. Rigg, Mr S. Walmsley, Mr L. Narroway
and Mr C. Leckonby
 
I write to you as the secretary of the Village Park Residents Association
and following a public meeting held last night, November 15th, to discuss the
concerns of local people about the Parkview Care Home, on Thorntree Road
Thornaby.
 The meeting heard that there were plans to close the home based upon a belief that the home was not being used sufficiently to justify it being maintained. However evidence was brought forward that the home has been turning people away, with locals having compiled a list of those people who had been refused a place in the home. That is to say, the meeting accepted the claim that a bed block had been operating, which left the impression that the home was under used.
 Equally, whilst the meeting supported the concept of care in the community, allowing the physically frail elderly residents to stay in the familiar surroundings of their own homes, the majority of residents in Parkview care home are suffering various forms of dementia to different degrees of severity. They could not be cared for in the community.
 This home has an excellent track record and inspectors have never found it wanting in Any way shape or form. The families of those residents currently living there, and regarding it As their home, rather than a home, are highly delighted with the levels of care and Attention given by an excellent team of carers. This was made clear by the number of Highly vocal family members who attended last nights meeting.
 As a result, I as secretary of the VPRA have been instructed to write to the leaders of all political groups in the Borough Council to solicit your opinions about the potential closure of the last council run home in Thornaby and seek your support should the matter be taken to cabinet. I ask therefore that you consider this situation and respond to this e-mail as soon as possible so that the responses can be given to the next meeting planned for next week.
 
Regards
Peter Brennan
Secretary
Village Park Residents Association
 

All 6 leaders replied to this mail.

The following mail was sent to all the other members of Stockton Borough Council

Dear councillors and friends of the family of communities which is Stockton Borough.

  I am writing to you, as secretary of the Village Park Residents Association, in relation to the future  of the Parkview Care home here in Thornaby and perceived plans to close the home down for a variety  of reasons. Yes, we have been told of the planned consultation and the need to consider all aspects  of this situation, yet the Village Park Residents Association believe that the situation has a number of points which demand closer examination..

Take, for example the proposed consultation and the cabinet meeting, it is our belief, based upon the information we are building up, that the data presented to council will not be accurate as long term effects of altering practice in the home will present it in an unfavourable light. The bed block is a fine example of this. We are now compiling a list of people who have been refused access to the home over 12 months a period which has seen the bed block imposed.

 Respite care, which is important to anyone caring for a sick or elderly relative will not be included in any future assessment, and so, there will be little to illustrate the distress which is being caused for  local people who will not have the home to turn to should the home close, in the future..

 If information is being shaped in advance by the changes in practice, which predate the rumours gaining substance, then the playing field is not level. Indeed, it is not even, with the officers, who may be acting in the perceived interests of the borough, in respect of the funding, having created the circumstances in which closing the home appears more acceptable. This is not something local residents are able to allow to pass unchallenged and unexposed. I do not accuse them of acting corruptly nor in an underhand manner., but with numbersand results of savings in front of communities and people.

 We have only recently discovered that the home, which has passed every inspection with flying colours,was criticised for having an internal lift, creating so called health and safety issues. However, whilst planning permission was sought etc for an external lift, the council did not build this lift. The result, from our position being that those officers responsible have machined a point from which they can claim they need to close the buildings.

 There are many more such examples which will go unexamined when officers present their case to cabinet but which should be considered. Our only alternative is to use the press and newsletters to make details known as we believe that is the only route which will bring the details to councillors.

 Regards

Peter Brennan

Secretary

To 28/11/2007 44 councillors have read this e mail and issued a read reciept. 2 others deleted without reading.

Appeal sent to all councillors by e-mail Sat 15/12/2007 19:07

To all our Councillors throughout the Stockton Borough.

Please back the Village Park Residents Association campaign to save Parkview Care Home in Thornaby.

Some extracts from the report to Cabinet:-

7. Stockton has an ageing population and by 2025 the number of people aged 65+ is projected to increase by 46% compared to 2008. The greatest increase will be in the 85+ age group where the numbers are projected to increase over the same time period by 82%

8. This will result in increased demand for all forms of care, particularly services in the community and nursing care rather than residential care. The greatest pressure will be on nursing care as people with less complex needs should be supported to live at home for as long as possible.

10. Parkview is the remaining Council owned Older Peoples establishment that offers admissions into permanent 24 hour residential care. It currently provides a total of 32 places set out across 3 independent units: -

13. The quality of the care provided at Parkview was assessed as excellent in the most recent Commission for Social Care Inspection report. Demand for the services provided by each of these units has proved to be below planned levels and there have been no new permanent admissions to Parkview since 21 April 2007 due to the prolonged failure to attract new permanent residents and the subsequent need to review the service provision. 

THIS LAST STATEMENT IS UNTRUE.

How could the home attract new residents when there has been a review underway and a "Bed blocking" policy in place. The leader of SBC has admitted this as the case in our previous communications with him.

Please lobby Cabinet, reject this report and its future implications. How can fair consultation take place when the facts of the initial report have been distorted. 

Yes. There are other "Private" Care homes in Thornaby.

Yes. Parkview is 50 years old and may need modernisation.

But what cost do you put on life?

How many of the elderly folks would survive a traumatic move to a new home.

A number of residents are over 90 and one lady is 101 next birthday.

Most residents are totally dependent on the nursing staff and carers at Parkview who they know and trust.