Gloucestershire County Council has approved plans to close Great Western Court, a care home on Millbrook Street in Gloucester, putting over 40 council jobs at risk.
The decision comes as the care home, which has been vacant since March, is deemed surplus to current requirements. Council leaders highlighted that the facility’s care model no longer aligns with the evolving needs of both the council and the NHS.
Kate Usmar, the cabinet member responsible for adults’ support, revealed that in recent years only nine out of the 30 beds at Great Western Court were occupied, making the home costly and underutilized. She added that NHS commissioners now prefer to commission residential care beds only when nursing care can be provided.
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“Our focus is on helping people recover in their own homes because they tend to get better faster there,” Cllr Usmar explained. “The home has faced several challenges and has been empty since late March.”
The council considered several options, including temporary retention or repurposing the building. However, Usmar noted the building’s design posed problems: “It’s a unique building that becomes very hot in summer and very cold in winter. It contains many pods which are not fit for the way we now deliver care.”
Despite the closure, the council aims to preserve the skills and dedication of the 47 staff members currently based at Great Western Court, with plans to redeploy most of them. That said, some redundancies may be unavoidable.
Council leader Lisa Spivey acknowledged the difficulty of such decisions, stressing the impact on people’s lives. When asked if the closure would still be considered if funding were not an issue, Usmar affirmed it would. “The building is simply not suitable for modern care models.”
Deputy council leader Colin Hay pointed out the financial burden of maintaining an empty property, citing security and maintenance concerns. Selling the site could provide funds for investment elsewhere.
Ultimately, the council’s cabinet unanimously approved the closure of Great Western Court, marking the end of an era while prioritizing a more agile and efficient approach to adult care services.