Transfer of Care Home to Council ownership

A Care Home in Aberystwyth will be transferred to Ceredigion County Council’s ownership by September 2023, which will maintain the high quality services provided there for residents and their families.

Hafan y Waun Care Home was managed by Methodist Homes (MHA), who contacted Ceredigion County Council following their decision to withdraw from the running of the home  Since then, work has been undertaken with MHA to discuss potential options for the much-loved care home in Aberystwyth.During a Cabinet meeting held on 04 July 2023, Ceredigion Cabinet Members approved a decision to transfer Hafan y Waun Care Home to Council ownership, with a focus on ensuring continuity of home operations for residents and staff alike.

The Council has a 125-year building lease with MHA for Hafan y Waun, therefore the land and building will revert to the Council’s possession following MHA’s decision to terminate the lease. The priority of MHA and Ceredigion County Council’s is to ensure a seamless exchange of ownership with minimal disruptions to residents, families, staff and the wider community.

Hafan y Waun is a modern, fully functional building, built in 2007, that meets Care Inspectorate Wales’ requirements. It has 90 en-suite bedrooms and four wings, which can be self-contained, as well as a large dementia friendly garden.

A financial strategy will be developed by the Council to manage the potential risks during the transitional period, and the transfer is expected to be completed by September 2023.

Councillor Alun Williams, Ceredigion Cabinet Member for Through Age Wellbeing, Care and Support Services, said: “The decision made today is an important step towards maintaining the future of the Care Home and it gives certainty to residents and their families. Losing the county’s main dementia residential facility with capacity for 90 beds would have meant that service users and families would have to consider placements out of county and at a distance from their homes. That would not be acceptable, and through this approach, the Council can ensure that the Care Home continues to operate, that Ceredigion jobs are protected as far as possible, and that a valuable resource can continue for our county and communities.”

MHA Chief Executive Sam Monaghan said: “The decision by MHA to withdraw from Hafan y Waun care home and transfer it to the ownership of Ceredigion County Council was taken as a result of a strategic review by the charity of its services. Over the past few months we have been working closely with Ceredigion County Council and its representatives and are pleased that we have been able to reach agreement to transfer Hafan y Waun to the local authority. We are sad to lose Hafan y Waun from the MHA family but I am certain the home will continue to be a big part of the Aberystwyth community as it moves under the ownership of Ceredigion.”

The decision to run Hafan y Waun as one of the Authority’s Care Homes supports Ceredigion County Council’s Wellbeing Objectives to create caring and healthy communities. It also forms part of the Council’s Through Age Wellbeing programme.