Care-home workers told jobs are safe

LANDLORDS have reassured staff at a cash-strapped care home that their jobs are safe.

Handsale Ltd, the owners of Treelands in Fitton Hill, have announced that their sister company Post Grad Ltd is set to take over operations on Friday, September 30, after the demise of Southern Cross.

A spokesman told the Chronicle that the company is intending to keep existing staff on at the care home and conditions will remain the same.

The London-based company has decided to transfer management from Southern Cross to its sister company, which already manages two other care homes, rather than lease it to another operator.

It has also be announced that operations at Avalon Park care home in Dove Street, Salem, will be taken over by Court Cavendish on Sunday, October 30.

The company was re-established in 2007 to deliver financial turnarounds to care homes. It has been chosen by landlords NHP.

Jeremy Jensen, NHP director, said: “The continuity of care for residents remains our number-one priority and we are working hard to ensure a seamless transition.

“We understand that uncertainty over recent months has made it a challenging time for residents, relatives and staff, and we are looking forward to putting in place a new era of stability, good governance and the highest standards of care.”

The news comes as the GMB union were supplied with a list of more than 30 operators set to take over 691 Southern Cross care homes.

However, the union has hit out at landlords for a delay in announcing the new operators, sailing close to the deadline when Southern Cross is to be dismantled.

Justin Bowden, GMB national officer for Southern Cross, said: “The collapse of Southern Cross in the murky mire of invisible landlords in offshore tax havens and inflated rents has been a sobering lesson of what happens when the private sector is given free reign.

“Local councils and the Care Quality Commission have a duty to assess the fitness of these operators to run these care homes properly.

“Improving the quality of care for residents should be the paramount aim which in turn must lead to policies which reduce staff turnover for better continuity.

“Higher pay is needed to attract and retain care staff.”

Union representatives are now calling for meaningful consultation in the coming months to protect Southern Cross workers.

They point out. however, that operators may still change during the process.