Major investment in residential care to be considered by RCT Council’s Cabinet

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet will next week consider the feedback received from the consultation on proposals to modernise local residential care services. They include a major investment in four state-of-the-art new care accommodation and the retention of five Council care homes.

The proposals put forward a new projected £60m capital investment, and are part of the Council’s commitment to modernise and improve adult care provision, responding to changing expectations and an ageing population. This is on top of a £50m investment plan, agreed in 2017, to provide 300 extra care beds in Rhondda Cynon Taf. More than 100 beds have since been created at new extra care housing in Aberaman and Graig.

On Tuesday, February 28, Cabinet will consider feedback on the proposals (listed below), received in an extensive consultation held from December 12, 2022, to January 27, 2023. The process included engagement with residents living in the care homes that could be affected, along with family members and advocates. Staff also had their say in dedicated meetings with officers.

The public had an opportunity to take part in person at three drop-in events in Church Village, Ferndale and Mountain Ash in January 2023. Information about the proposals, and an online survey, were hosted on the Council website. Cabinet will consider an officer report outlining all feedback received on Tuesday.

The Council’s preferred options that were consulted upon include:

• Retaining the current service provision at five current Council care homes – Clydach Court in Trealaw, Pentre House, Tegfan in Trecynon, Cae Glas in Hawthorn and Parc Newydd in Talbot Green.

• Providing a new accommodation with 40 Extra Care apartments and 20 residential dementia beds in Treorchy – this development would be explored with Linc Cymru and the health board. It would be located on land near Ystrad Fechan Care Home. The care home is temporarily closed with no residents, and would be permanently decommissioned.

• Providing a new accommodation with 20 Extra Care apartments and 10 residential dementia beds in Ferndale – this development would be explored with Linc Cymru. It would be located on land near the existing Ferndale House Care Home, which would be decommissioned when the new facility is developed.

• Providing a new accommodation with 25 Extra Care apartments and 15 residential dementia beds in Mountain Ash – this development would be explored with Linc Cymru. It would be located on land near the existing Troedyrhiw Care Home. The home would be decommissioned when the new facility is developed.

• Remodelling accommodation to provide care for people with learning disabilities in adulthood, in Church Village – this would be achieved by redeveloping Garth Olwg Care Home. The care home would be decommissioned when suitable placements are found for its residents, in a home of their choice which meets their assessed needs.

The consultation feedback and recommendations of Officers will be pre-scrutinised on Monday, February 27, prior to Cabinet consideration.