Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services — Postponed from 8 November – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 15 November 2017.
Neil raises an important point here, and we firmly believe that Ceredigion County Council, like any other council, has to adequately plan its care provision based on local needs and deal with the issues that have been raised. Now, I do appreciate, and we should all be aware, that this has been a difficult time for all concerned, not least the residents, and the safety and well-being of residents has to be all of our concerns. We do understand that over the summer, as Neil will know, Ceredigion County Council consulted on the closure of Bodlondeb care home, which ended on 25 September. The council cabinet met on 7 November to make that decision, as he referred to, on the closure of the home and it was, we are informed, made as a result of extensive consultation with the sector and with residents. But I also understand that the council commissioned independent advocates and independent mental capacity advocates to ensure that the voice and opinion of residents were heard during the process. But of course, you raise the important point of 'What now?' in that continuing care and making sure their needs are properly taken care of. We would expect that Ceredigion County Council, as any other local authority with responsibility for this, takes care of those needs going forward.