Northants Council takes over quartet of homes from Shaw Healthcare

Northamptonshire County Council is taking over responsibility for the delivery of care services at four homes from Shaw Healthcare.

Turn Furlong in Northampton, Spinneyfields in Rushden, Thackley Green in Corby and Longlands in Daventry were part of a 25-year build-and-operate contract with Shaw.

The contract was due to run until 2029, at which point the centres were due to transfer to the council.

Following negotiation an agreement has been made with Shaw to vary the contract so that going forward they will only be responsible for the buildings themselves, with the council now taking on responsibility for providing care and staffing for the remainder of the PFI contract.

The care homes were originally built to provide short-term specialist nursing, rehabilitation, respite and dementia care for older people over 65. Longlands was then changed through a contact variation in 2013 from short-term care to longer-term nursing and dementia care.

Northamptonshire County Council said adult social care needs have changed significantly since the contract began.

“Today increasing numbers of people with more complex needs are able to return home with support after a hospital stay, rather than go into short-term care, and best practice shows that this means people are more likely to regain their independence,” it said in a statement.

“At the same time, those who do need bedded nursing rehabilitation, reablement or short-term dementia care now have more complex and greater needs than the original contract presumed,” it added.

Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member for adult social care Councillor Ian Morris added: "Through this agreement we will have flexibility and control over how the four specialist care centres are used to meet the needs of local people and they will be a key part of how the new unitary councils support people requiring short-term care and support in Northamptonshire."