Residents living in ward for three years
RESIDENTS of the States-run Sunnybrook residential home are still living in a ward at Duchess of Kent House, three years after the home closed for refurbishment.
Health & Social Care said it intends to move the residents back and is looking at how its plans can be brought to fruition.
Sunnybrook is a home for people with profound learning difficulties and was the name of a building in the Route de Carteret, Castel.
The home closed three years ago for what HSC at the time said was essential maintenance.
The property remains empty to this day.
Residents were moved to Sarnia Ward at Duchess of Kent House in St Andrew’s.
Even though the residents are no longer in the same place, their current residence is still being called ‘Sunnybrook’, and was referred to as such in early 2018 when its kitchens were given a two-star hygiene rating by Environmental Health. The kitchens currently have a five-star rating after the last inspection in October, 2018.
‘The home is still called Sunnybrook as the residents and relatives all know it as that,’ said HSC. ‘The home has not yet reopened and, therefore, the residents are still all on the Duchess of Kent site.
‘HSC wishes to move back to the Sunnybrook site, and has worked up plans to do so.
‘These plans have included the agreement of a revised layout, and a list of works that would have to happen to facilitate that move, so the premises are safe and appropriate for the service users’ needs.’
If the work is to be undertaken directly, a capital bid will need to be made for the works and that would be based on a business case going through the normal capital allocation process.
Another option would be for an external provider to take on the works and afterwards continue to act as landlord on behalf of HSC, said the department.
‘All options are being investigated now, but HSC remains keen to once again use the Sunnybrook site for the provision of its services.’
While the Castel building remains empty, a nearby resident told the Guernsey Press that he and others are concerned about the growth of the virulent Japanese knotweed in the untended garden and are worried that this could spread to their properties.
