Fears over future for residents at Fairfields in Cookstown

There are fears for the future of Fairfields Care Home in Cookstown.

It follows the news that Care Circle Ltd and Slemish Homes Ltd has gone into administration.

The administrator has said the home will continue to operate as normal and no job losses are planned.

However Ulster Unionist Assembly Member Sandra Overend says its future hangs in the balance.

An administrator was appointed last week.

The companies, which are part of the Care Circle Group, own and operate three care homes and manage another. 

Peter Allen from Deloitte has been appointed administrator.

As well as Fairfields, the homes owned by the companies are Braefield in Connor, Slemish in Ballymena and Kingsway in Dunmurry.

Mr Allen says the businesses have been placed into administration to enable continued trading.

“It is the intention of the administrator to sell the homes as going concerns and Mr Allen said it would be ‘business as usual’ until a buyer, or buyers, is identified.

The homes owned and operated by the companies employ 310 permanent and agency staff.

Mrs Overend says she was disappointed to learn the news last week

“Although the administrator has said the residential home will continue to operate as normal, it appears that the future of the home hangs in the balance,” she says.

“Fairfields provides vital nursing, residential and dementia care across the Northern Trust area and I know that the care and attention provided by the residential home is very much appreciated by its residents and their families,” she says.

And she adds that the uncertainty now cast over the future of the home will be worrying for those residents and their families.

“Members of staff will also be concerned about their job security, and although the administrator has said that no redundancies are planned, it is important that employees are not left in the dark over the future of the home, particularly as they continue to care for residents.

She has urged the Health Minister to step in.

“Whilst an increasing number of people want to be cared for in their own homes, for as long as possible, it is imperative that for those for whom this is not possible that there are care home facilities in place. Given that the future of Westlands Care Home which is owned by the Trust is still under review and their current non-permanent admissions policy is still in place, it is vital that the Minister gets to grips with this issue, and ensure that older people in Mid- Ulster have the care facilities they deserve.”