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Aug 2020

Charity

County council to take over Henshaws home service

Published: 25 Aug 2020, 12:53 BST

by Calvin Robinson

Senior county councillors have voted today to take over a supported living service in Harrogate run by Henshaws. The authority will bring the service in-house in October.

North Yorkshire County Council will take over the running of Henshaws’ supported living service from October.

Senior county councillors voted at a meeting of the authority’s executive today to take over the service, which currently has 10 properties in Harrogate with a capacity for 26 people in total.

It comes as county council bosses said they were not confident that handing over the service to another provider would not result in the loss of services and that taking over would “ensure full continuation of services”.

Cllr Michael Harrison, executive member for health and adult services at the county council, said it was important for the authority to remember those people who use the service when deciding to take it over.

He said:

"A key thing here is not to lose sight of the fact that we have got individuals living independent lives and in order to do that they receive support funded by ourselves.

"It is absolutely critical that we do not lose sight of the benefits of a contract like this. Ultimately, on the one hand you could look at pounds and pence but on the other hand this is people being facilitated and supported to live independently.

"It is really important from a council perspective that we make sure that is possible. I think this is a good decision from a continuity of service perspective.

“I think we can also look at what we are providing and the efficiency of doing that so we can deliver service continuity, efficient use of resources and positive recruitment opportunities in the Harrogate area."

Richard Webb, director of health and adult services, added that transfer of staff over to the county council was subject to approval. If approved, the authority would then begin a recruitment process.

Read more on this story:

“Home once a week for love and cuddles”: the experience of a family with a loved one in Henshaws during lockdown

Why Henshaws is also closing its Arts and Crafts centre

Henshaws to close homes service for disabled by October

The decision to close the service by Henshaws caused uncertainty for families with loved ones in the care of the charity

One family with a member with disabilities who uses the service said they would support the county council but urged them to “get it right”.

They said:

“I do believe that they want to make it work and get it right. What I do not want is for them to come in and think they can save money everywhere. They have to make it right.

“Everybody wants the same outcome, they want these adults to be supported well.”

It comes after Henshaws announced in June that it would close the service. The charity gave four weeks' notice on the contract in March, but county council bosses negotiated a an extension until October in order to consider options for the future of the service.

Meanwhile, the charity’s CEO, Nick Marr, told the Stray Ferret that the charity has been on a “knife-edge financially”. Latest financial accounts from August 2018 show it to be spending £12.3 million – £1 million more than its income.

No further accounts have been published by the organisation. However, it announced earlier this year it would not be reopening its arts and crafts centre in Knaresborough because of financial difficulties.