Henshaws disability home support service in Harrogate set to be taken over by county council

The council's executive will meet next week to bring Henshaws Home Support in-house after the charity warned its finances were on a "knife edge" and gave notice on a contract with the authority.

The Manchester-based charity also runs a specialist college in Harrogate and an arts and crafts centre in Knaresborough.

These will not be affected by the move, although the arts and crafts centre is to remain closed "for the foreseeable future" because of financial problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The charity's chief executive Nick Marr announced in June it was to "transition out" of its home support service and the council has now set out plans for the takeover.

Councillor Michael Harrison, the council's executive member for health and adult services, said it will aim to keep staff in their jobs and service users in their homes during the move.

"This is a good news story because we are guaranteeing continuity of service", he said.

"And from an employment perspective, we are hoping as many colleagues who provide that service will want to continue to do so."

A report from the council's director of health and adult services Richard Webb said it first became aware of the charity's financial problems in November last year.

It added there were also "quality concerns" over the amount of agency staff being used.

Councillor Harrison said the council will look to move away from the use of agency workers, although he added there is a risk that new staff will not come forward.

"Getting people to work in the care sector in Harrogate is a challenge", he said.

"The risk really is that in what is normally a difficult market for resources, we need people to deliver this service for us.

"It is a risk, but it is also an opportunity as the jobs market isn't the best at the moment."

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Mr Webb said a move to outsource another provider had been explored, but because of tight timescales and coronavirus restraints, a council takeover is the best option to "give certainty to individuals and families".

He added: "There is always a risk when you are insourcing. Until you have actually moved the service across, you don't quite know what will be the true state of things.

"But we have looked at it very carefully from what we know and we have got a lot of experience of running similar types of service."

Henshaws Home Support includes 10 supported living properties in Harrogate with capacity for 25 people.

Fifteen people are currently funded by the county council and the rest by other local authorities. The service also provides community support to 10 people.

The county council said it had written to affected families about the planned changes.

The move will be discussed at a meeting on 25 August and the takeover could be completed by October.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter