Somerset Care has announced the closure of its Oak Trees in Bridgwater and Sunningdale Lodge in Yeovil care homes in October 2023.

The care home operator said it was merging the services with its residential care provision as they were no longer fit for purpose.

A Somerset Care spokesperson said: “No resident will be left without appropriate care, and no team member will be left without a job role. All residents will be supported to find alternative care provision which meets their needs, individual circumstances and preferences.”

The care home operator said there was no risk of redundancy to staff at the homes with workers being offered roles in the immediate local area with no change to salary or job title.

A spokesperson added Oak Trees and Sunningdale Lodge, which were built in the 1960s, were not designed to meet today’s care needs or accommodate modern equipment such as hoists and wet rooms.

“The buildings are inefficient and costly to run, and do not offer suitable working environments for current and future colleagues,” the spokesperson said. “This impacts upon our aspiration to run an environmentally sustainable business, and our ability to support our teams as we adapt and grow our care offering to meet the increasing demand for care within our local communities.

“Our immediate priority now, is to support our residents, their families and our colleagues during this period of transition, ensuring that all those affected can be certain of an improved, secure future with Somerset Care.”

A Somerset Council spokesperson said: “In light of the provider’s decision, Somerset Council’s adult social care’s quality assurance team are working closely alongside Somerset Care Limited in helping to ensure a smooth and effective closure process, in line with our well-established policy and process for such events, and as required under The Care Act 2014. 

“We will work together with the provider and our frontline social work teams to ensure a smooth transition for affected residents into alternative new provision that can meet their needs, undertaking reviews of residents as and where required and engaging the support and involvement of any placing commissioners within the provision from beyond Somerset.”