Sheffield City Council is planning to close all of the remaining elderly care homes in the city that are still council owned after years of privatisation of social care. 40 elderly care centres have been shut down in Sheffield in the last 15 years under Labour and Lib Dem councils.
Sevenfields resource centre in the Wisewood area of the city and Hazelhurst resource centre in Jordanthorpe both provide intermediate care (rehab) and residential care for elderly people and have been earmarked for closure. The move will put 43 people out of work as the council says it wants to use private facilities instead. This will cost more money, provide a poorer service as private companies always do and offer worse pay and conditions for workers.
The council also plans to close Norbury resource centre in Norwood, Bolehill View resource centre in Crookes and Hurlfield View in Gleadless Common that all provide specialist care for people with dementia.
This is all part of the Labour council’s cuts and privatisation agenda. The council’s director of care and support communities, Eddie Sherwood, said the move would reduce costs and replace ‘ageing’ facilities while still providing beds outsourced to the private sector. It just shows how all three main parties are more concerned with giving our money to private companies than protecting jobs and services.
