Lifeline for care home at risk of closure

A volunteer at a care home facing closure has urged the council to reconsider its plans after a potential buyer came forward to save the facility.

The future of the Henry Cornish Care Centre in Chipping Norton is in doubt after Oxfordshire County Council launched a consultation over plans to close it and save £460,000.

But Roger Tyrrell, who has helped at the centre since his mother passed away there last year, said staff and residents were hopeful after a private provider contacted the council about buying the home.

A spokesperson for the local authority confirmed it had received interest in the care home, but said no decision had been made.

The Henry Cornish Care Centre was purpose-built by the county council 15 years ago. The local authority owns the building and care is provided by The Orders of St John Care Trust

For Tyrrell, the news of a potential buyer comes as a potential lifeline to the residents, staff and the community it serves.

"There's always a desire for people to move in here, because it's got such a great reputation in the community. It just struck me that if you were going to close anywhere, this is the wrong one."

Tyrrell's mother lived at the care centre for three years. Having lived locally, she wanted to stay in Chipping Norton to stay close to her family and friends following her husband's death.

According to Tyrell, the residential part of the home is a thriving business. But 14 nursing beds, paid for by the council, are underused, costing the council £460,000 each year.

The beds were originally used to help support hospital discharge rates by giving patients a short-stay option before they went home.

But as the council and local NHS shifted towards supporting more people to leave hospital and return directly home, the beds were used less and were instead transferred to nursing care.

A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council said "significant attempts" had been made to fill the beds, but they were only used for less than a third of the time.

Any funds raised from the closure would be used to "support people with more complex care needs and that would be a responsible use of adult social care funds," they added.

But instead of closing the home completely, Chipping Norton Town Council has asked the local authority to consider changing the commissioning model, to prevent the "considerable disruption and distress to vulnerable older people, their families and the staff who care for them."

In a statement, the town council has asked Oxfordshire County Council "not to proceed with the proposed closure until a comprehensive and transparent assessment of all viable alternatives has been undertaken, including the possibility of appointing a different care provider."

One potential option could be to sell the care centre to a private buyer.

Having bought and redeveloped a similar sized home in south Oxfordshire, Charlie Vaughan-Lee has approached the county council with an initial proposal to buy the business.

Under the plans, seen by the BBC, Vaughan-Lee has offered to keep the existing staff and residents, while releasing the council from its contract to pay for the 14 nursing beds.

Vaughan-Lee already owns The Old Vicarage in Moulsford. The care home is running at capacity and supports both private and council-funded placements.

It boasts a pickleball court, therapy room and sauna.

Vaughan-Lee lives five minutes away from the Henry Cornish Care Centre. He said he would be "incredibly proud" to buy the home.

"The idea would be to look after and invest in the care home and keep it and ensure that for a very, very long period of time that it's a thriving hub in the community, and it provides excellent care for locals who need it," he added.

A spokesperson for the county council confirmed an approach had been made to buy the Henry Cornish Care Centre.

They said the decision was "not a money-saving exercise" and the authority "appreciates the concern of residents, their families, staff, and the wider communities."

The consultation will stay open until 21 October with a decision on the care centre's future due on Tuesday 1 December.