Elderly residents ‘life line’ coffee shops are taken away in Norfolk
Residents angry as “lifeline” coffee shops are taken away from 14 Norfolk care at home complexes
Residents at the Wherry Housing Associated sheltered home complex, Redmayne View, angry that Norse are cancelling their café and shop. Picture: Denise Bradley
David Freezer Wednesday, June 19, 2013
12:00 PM
Angry residents of a Norwich care home have blasted funding cuts which will see their “lifeline” on-site coffee shop taken away and the hours of their shop slashed.
Older people living in the Redmayne View care at home complex, in Sprowston, say their quality of life will be damaged by the changes – part of a shake-up which has put 51 jobs at Norse Commercial Services at risk around Norfolk.
Redmayne View is one of more than a dozen care homes round the county where Norfolk County Council subsidises Norse Commercial Services to provide on-site coffee shops and convenience stores.
And with looming job cuts, those shops and stores, so valued by the elderly residents, are in danger of disappearing or having their hours reduced.
The 40 residents of Redmayne View currently enjoy a staffed coffee shop and mini convenience store service between 10am and 11.30am five days a week.
Housing with care homes managed by Norse in Norfolk
– Barley Court, New Costessey, 60 flats
– Benjamin Court, Cromer, 30 flats
– Dell Rose Court, Earlham, 48 flats
– Harriett Court, Lakenham, 40 flats
– Green Lane View, Aylsham, 30 flats
– Laburnum Grove, Thetford, 30 flats
– The Lawns, Great Yarmouth, 30 flats
– Lisbon Court, King’s Lynn, 30 flats
– Lloyd Court, High Kelling, near Holt, 40 flats
– Oakes Court, Downham Market, 40 flats
– Redmayne View, Sprowston, 40 flats
– Robert Kett Court, Wymondham, 40 flats
– St Augustines Place, Gorleston, 35 flats
– Weavers Court, Diss, 51 flats
They have now handed a petition into Norse Care, which runs the 14 care at home schemes and three attached day centres in Norfolk, in protest at the decision.
Jack Colville, 75, has been living at Redmayne View for almost a year and relies on a wheelchair to get him around after having his right leg amputated.
He said: “Every morning my social life is coming down for a cup of coffee with the girls, that is my social life.
“We would like somebody to come from Norse to explain why they are going to shut it down.
“If I don’t get a satisfactory explanation then I am going to chain myself to the front door but it’s just, ‘that’s what we are going to do, no arguments’.”
A county council spokesman explained that the council currently subsidises catering provision at Norse Care’s 14 housing with care schemes with £800,000 of public money a year.
It is being proposed that the coffee shops should be closed and the convenience store opening hours reduced and will be run by Norse Care staff, as a result of the catering subsidy being withdrawn.
James Bullion, assistant director of community services at the county council, said: “Following public consultation, the council decided two years ago that it would stop subsidising meals services across the county in the face of the significant savings it was being expected to make by central government (£135m between 2012 and 2014, before an estimated £144m through to 2017), and to focus its reduced funding on providing care services that will keep people safe, improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.
“Norse have had to take a hard look at the shops and convenience stores at housing with care schemes, as their takings do not cover their costs by some way. At Redmayne View for example, the coffee shop’s takings average around £20 a day, and the store around £6 a day.”
Mr Bullion said the residents will still be able to buy hot drinks in the dining rooms at lunchtimes and coffee machines will also be made available, with help given, as required, to prepare their own hot drinks in their kitchens.
Norwich North MP Chloe Smith has been told about the situation by Phyllis Daynes, 74, who has lived at Redmayne House since it opened 10 years ago.
Miss Smith said she will be raising the issue with the county council, saying: “Certainly there is not a lot of spare cash around at the moment but I query whether this is the best thing for the residents.
“I would imagine there is a solution to this. It can’t be beyond the wit of man to find a way forward that helps the residents with a place to meet, which provides that sense of community.
“I will be putting my concerns to the county council on the behalf of my constituents because it seems to me this is very important lifeline for some people.”
Judy Leggett, Conservative county councillor for Old Catton division, said: “This doesn’t sound very nice at all to me. I do appreciate what Redmayne View is all about, with the people living there can live independently but have the support of the staff as and when they need it.
“I will raise this with the council and have put a call out straight away to someone and will definitely follow it up because I don’t think this is appropriate for these residents.”
The changes will affect more than 500 residents living in care at home schemes in Norfolk and 51 Norse Commercial Services jobs are at risk of redundancy.
A county council statement said of the potential job losses: “Norse Commercial Services is doing everything it can to limit the number of staff facing compulsory redundancy as part of this change, including freezing recruitment and looking for redeployment opportunities in its wider catering operations.”
