'Dementia care needs time, effort and resources'

Campaigners who fought - and failed - to keep two care homes under council control have shifted their focus to improving dementia care.

Kirklees Council transferred ownership of Claremont House in Heckmondwike and Castle Grange in Newsome to Mulberry Care Homes in order to save money, despite opposition from families and some councillors.

Save Our Dementia Care Homes took the battle to the High Court for a judicial review but were defeated and, in March, had an appeal rejected.

They said they would now like to see whoever runs the authority after next week's local elections prioritise and invest in dementia care.

Sara Blagborough first contacted the BBC almost three years ago when her family received a letter from Kirklees Council saying it wanted to close Castle Grange where her mum Janet is a resident.

She said the final High Court judgment was "hugely disappointing" and it was "difficult to accept it was the end of the road".

Looking to the future, Blagborough argues that "dementia is an issue that needs time, effort and resources put into it".

"I'd just like to see any councillors commit to offering residential care for people with dementia, particularly advanced dementia, within the council, so council-run residential care," she said.

"It may be too late for the homes, but this issue is not going away and it should be something that people can access via the council rather than only being private providers."

Those thoughts are echoed by Donna Mallinson, whose mother died last year.

She said the final verdict was "extremely disappointing and upsetting and frustrating and annoying - it was quite devastating".

For Mallinson, whoever ends up running Kirklees Council must ensure their "actions speak louder than words, because we've heard so many platitudes and it's action that's needed, not just words".

Mallinson said she would like to see more investment in dementia care, adding: "They need to recognise just how serious it is, how common it is, how it affects everybody, whether you're a sufferer yourself or whether it's a family member that's a sufferer.

"They need to make services more available.

"Good quality dementia speciality services need to be more available and dementia sufferers not just hidden away.

"Kirklees, in particular, and councillors as well, they're very vocal about the daycare service, and it sounds to be a wonderful place, but 24-hour, seven-days-a-week care is what's actually needed.

"At the end of the daycare, these people go home to the carers who are looking after them at home and quite often it's just a partner and that's a big ask.

"So there are more investments needed."

Alison Hodgson's mum Doreen has been a resident at Castle Grange for three years.

She said the decision to privatise the two care homes was "gutting" and described the two homes as the "jewel in Kirklees' crown".

"I'd like them to rethink the decisions they are making.

"Maybe we can't change that and I'd like to know why they're wanting to put dementia into daycare.

"They're wanting to spend a lot of money in daycare which, to be honest, it's alright putting your loved one in daycare but they still have to go home at the end of the day and stay with their wife, partner, whoever, that looks after them.

"Sadly, when you want somebody to help you and you want to ring a helpline, they're not necessarily there in the evening."

In Kirklees Council's budget for 2026-27, there are significant increases in funding for social care services for older people.

It sets aside £15.2m to meet the needs of increasing numbers of older and people with disabilities who need social care, and also includes £5.9m in additional funding for services for children who need the council's support.

A Labour spokesperson said: "We want the best care for those affected by dementia and their families.

"We will set the standards locally and where the necessary provision is not available, we will seek to intervene in the market and deliver our own services.

"We have already set a high standard for dementia daycare at our new, state-of-the-art centre at Mirfield.

"Ultimately, we want to be able to help people stay in their own familiar surroundings for as long as possible and to provide support for those caring for them."

A Green Party spokesperson said they "would like to review dementia care services and the wider care provision in Kirklees".

"We would particularly like to encourage community care cooperative such as the one operated by Valley Care in the Colne Valley," they said.

"We will also want to continue to take a close look into the former council dementia care homes to ensure they do provide quality care under the ownership of the new private providers."

The Liberal Democrats pointed out that they were responsible for commissioning and building the recently disposed of care centres when they were last in power.

"It's vitally important to have the right mix of provision for those residents diagnosed," a party spokesperson said.

"The funding to maintain that capacity has not been forthcoming over the last couple of decades, so the next administration must effectively lobby government to ensure Kirklees is getting a fair deal."

Meanwhile, a Reform Kirklees spokesperson said: "Social care funding is broken and needs reform. Councils cannot cope with ever-rising demand for these services.

"Reform is working on policies that will address the social care funding gap at the national level.

"At a local level, Reform-run councils will work tirelessly to find ways to maximise efficiency in these services, to modernise, to ensure value for money in commercial contracts with the sector and to support people to live more independently wherever possible."

The Conservative group have said they understand dementia and dementia-related issues will continue to be a "growing concern for our residents and therefore for the council".

They went onto say they were "very supportive of the council going the extra mile to provide better services for people affected by dementia and their families".

"We would certainly work with families to ensure that every person gets the right support, including day care and respite, and ensure that we have the right number of places in residential care settings to accommodate greater numbers of people with these complex needs," they added.

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