A DECISION by the county council to transfer all its care homes to the private operator Care UK could ultimately threaten dozens of smaller care homes across Suffolk.

That was the warning today from the Suffolk Association of Independent Care Providers (SAICP) as the council’s cabinet prepares to confirm the transfer at its meeting next week.

As revealed in the EADT earlier this week, the county’s 16 care homes are to be transferred to the private sector operator within the next month.

Over the next three and a half years they are to be redeveloped or closed – creating 10 larger homes which will have a total of more beds.

However while the county currently pays for 476 residents in its 526 spaces, once the deal is completed with Care UK it will only be contracted to provide 370 residents in 680 rooms.

Prema Fairburn-Dorai from the SAICP said: “We would probably have preferred the council to have split the transfer and for them to have transferred the homes to four different, smaller providers. They have put all their eggs in one basket.”

She was concerned that the low level payments being offered by the county council and the large new homes being built could force some of the smaller homes to close.

The council pays �397 a week for basic care and �497 a week for residents needing dementia care – private fees start at about �800 a week.

“Effectively the private residents are subsidising the social services-funded residents and that is not right. These changes could lead to homes being forced to close,” she added.

Cabinet member responsible for adult care Colin Noble said the county had looked at all possible solutions before transferring all its homes to Care UK.

It would not have been possible to transfer all its 16 homes across Suffolk to the private sector except as a single deal.

He did not feel the creation of 154 spaces by Care UK would radically alter the market in Suffolk where there are currently 5,500 spaces in care homes.

“But I do accept that the construction of 10 new homes with up to date equipment and high-quality nursing could make some smaller homes feel they have to improve what they can offer,” he added.

The county bought about 40% of the care home spaces in Suffolk. Mr Noble said: “If you are buying that number of spaces in care homes it is not unreasonable to expect to negotiate a price based on a significant discount to someone who is buying a single place in a home.”

The county’s cabinet is due to discuss the transfer of its care homes at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting in Bury St Edmunds.

If it backs the move, the 16 homes and the staff that are employed in them are expected to be transferred to Care UK during November and redevelopment will start next year.