New £6.25m Fife Council care home approved

It would serve as a replacement for Northeden house and would include a day service for up to 10 people, accommodation for adult services community support and space for a meals on wheels service.

The care home will be built as part of phase two of Fife Council’s reprovisioning programme.

It chose to replace the home other options, which included  “do-nothing” and tendering it  to the private sector.

Councillors at the policy and co-ordination committee heard that the current care home did not meet care inspectorate standards and would have to be replaced or shut down, which would leave the current 40 residents with no where to go.

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Councillors were also told there was a potential for staff redundancies if they didn’t agree to build a new care home as there was no space for them in any other facilities.

But Councillor Tony Miklinski (Conservative, Cupar), wasn’t convinced that moving the beds to the private sector was the right option.

He said: “I’m not saying people shouldn’t live in the local area or in quality accommodation – but there is £500,000 of savings on offer if we move private. This could then be reinvested in the service for future use, especially when services are being squeezed. We shouldn’t turn our back on it.”

But Labour Councillor, David Graham, said: “We need to remember it is the residents home and where they live and farming them out isn’t an option just because of the cost of it. The cost is a major factor but it shouldn’t be the first factor.”

An amendment to delay any decisions until the report could be revisited was voted down four to 14 and the replacement of the care home was agreed.