Ministers will do 'all they can' to save Peel residential home

Around 150 people attend meeting on future of Corrin Home

Two government ministers have pledged to do 'all they can' to save a residential home in Peel from closing.

Around 150 people attended a public meeting last night on how to preserve the Corrin Memorial Home.

Insufficient funds to make urgent upgrades was one of the reasons given for the imminent closure.

DEFA Minister Geoffrey Boot and Policy and Reform Minister Ray Harmer - who both serve the Peel and Glenfaba constituency - attended last night's meeting:

A government subvention to keep the facility open was ruled out by Health and Social Care Minister David Ashford, who said it would lead to other privately-run homes asking for money.

Policy and Reform Minister Ray Harmer and Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot - who both serve the Peel and Glenfaba constituency - say they will now pile pressure on Mr Ashford to provide financial assistance to keep the home running in the short-term.

Mr Boot says it's important consideration is also given to ensure the Corrin Home remains open for the foreseeable future.

"In the short-term we'd like to keep the home open", he said.

"But there obviously needs to be some long-term solutions in terms of overall management, cost control, and whether that building's fit-for-purpose; whether it should be modernised or whether the Trust might donate it to the government so that a new facility can be built in the future.

"There were people here tonight that were obviously willing to put their hand in their pocket and fund raise, so we should look at all those options."

Various options were discussed during Monday's public meeting, such as securing a government loan or identifying a private backer.

Alan Jones, a director of the Corrin Home, said he was willing to work with staff and the government to find a workable solution.

He told the meeting it would cost in the region of £1.2million to keep operating the home for another year.

The issue is the subject of an emergency Tynwald motion on Tuesday as the campaign to save the home gains momentum.

Mr Harmer was pleased with what he called a 'constructive' debate on the problems surrounding the home, but criticised the board of directors and the trustees for hiding the extent of their financial troubles.

"There hasn't been that [openness and transparency] over the last 14 months and that's what's made it difficult", Mr Harmer said.

"We're [MHKs for the region] going to do all we can to keep the home going."

There was also a commitment to lobby the health and social care minister to stump up the funds needed to extend the running of the home for a few more months.

Mr Harmer continued: "As it was said in the meeting, we're all getting older.

"There's going to be more and more care needed and we need to have a proper facility.

"[The Corrin Home] is the only one in the west. We need this facility in the west."

The board of directors have now reached out in a bid to save the home from closing on July 31.

"I've had some volunteers willing to come forward and work with us and I'm willing to work with anyone from government that comes up with a solution that we can operate in", said Mr Jones.

"But I must make it clear that as directors of a private company we don't have any choices but to cease trading by the 31 July, and that's a legal requirement."

When questioned on why the financial difficulties were not flagged up sooner, Mr Jones said they feared being closed down by government.

He added: "Since I've been on the board, about two-and-a-half-years, there have been problems right from the start, but a number of issues came to a head fairly quickly earlier on this year.

"With hindsight, perhaps on reflection we could've looked at doing things differently, but I think our big fear was if we'd done that we'd have been automatically closed by government."

Twenty-one elderly residents will need to be re-located if the Corrin Home closes as expected at the end of July.

Meanwhile, the directors who run the Corrin Memorial Home in Peel have criticised the constituency's MHKs for a joint statement on the facility's closure.

Ministers Geoffrey Boot and Ray Harmer issued a statement, which the Board of Corrin Home Limited says has 'a number of inaccuracies', which it has 'corrected' in a statement.

You can read the full response below:

Dear Commissioners

We should be pleased if you would make available to the public of Peel the following statement that has been issued by the Board of Corrin Home Limited in relation to an earlier post made on behalf of the elected members of the Keys for Peel and Glenfaba

“The Chair of the Board of Corrin Home Limited informed both members for the constituency of Peel and Glenfaba on 22nd April last of the decision by the whole Board that the Home would be closing by 31st July next.  This information was given to as a courtesy, prior to advising the staff and residents of the decision.  You go onto state that "the only engagement that we have not had is with the Trustees", yet you have both had ample opportunities to contact any member of the Board before publishing your message to us on social media for the general public to view.  As a result of your actions, which are extremely disappointing, you prevented us from having the ability to respond in a timely manner. 

Nevertheless, there are a number of inaccuracies contained in your message which we have corrected below.

In accordance with the Acts and Regulations, the Board of Corrin Home Limited held a meeting with the Registrations & Inspections Unit of the DHSC prior to finalising our decision, and were re-assured that we would be taking the correct course of action.

The Chief Minister, the Treasury Minister and the Minister for the relevant Department, Mr David Ashford, are reported to have all said that the Government cannot support the Home in its ongoing activities.  At this stage we should also point out that the Board have previously held various meetings over the last years with members of the Department, Senior Executives, GPs and Social Workers.  You will therefore understand that this is not a recent development, but a trend that has gone on for a number of years, which has made it difficult for the Home to operate and maintain the standards required.  You state in your email to the Trustees that "we would like to assist and facilitate in any way we can and have engaged with a number of parties".   In order to clarify the position -  on the 20th April last, the Board met with our Regulators - Registrations & Inspection's Unit, and explained that it was our intention to give notice of our intention to terminate the licence.  Subsequently on 22nd April, our Chair informed the Chief Executive of Manx Care -  Katherine Magson;  the Trade Unions and both Members for Peel and Glenfaba, that it was the intention of the Board to close on 31st July next.(not 1st July as stated within your message), in accordance with the Regulations.

Resulting from the above, the Board engaged with DHSC/Manx Care to discuss how we, as Care Providers, intended to provide continuity of care to our residents, and arrange to liaise with their families in respect of referrals to the Social Care Team, which has been done.

From the point of view of the Trustees, you must appreciate that the Trusts are covered by the Charities Regulations 1989, now the  Charities Act 2020.  These accounts are all filed annually and are a matter of public record as you will know.  A review of the files will show that these Trusts have been in existence since 1945.  The Trustees are bound by the requirements of the Wills of the Corrin family and have always sought to follow those principles over the years, even as evidenced by a public meeting in the Corrin Hall (which was gifted by the late TC Corrin) in the early 1950's, when a decision was advised that the Trustees would proceed with the establishment of a Residential Home.  The various Trusts created by the Wills of the Corrin Family were to serve different aspects to benefit the people of Patrick and Peel   Following representations from the then Chief Executive of the Department of Health & Social Care - Dr Malcolm Couch, steps were taken to arrange for the activities of the Governors of the Home to be transferred to Corrin Home Limited.  Consequently, the Directors of the company are now bound by company law.  Through this structure the Trustees retain the ultimate ownership.

At this point in time, no decision has been made as to the future use of the premises and land.  Due to the position of the GP Surgery, conversations will have to take place with the Department, as the Surgery is effectively "land-locked" and subject to a lease.

We are all agreed that there has to be a debate on the provision of care generally on the Island, where third party suppliers are recompensed at a reasonable rate through the support of Government”

Issued on behalf of the Trustees and Directors of Corrin Home Ltd.