A NURSING home in Yate is to be one of the first to close as part of South Gloucestershire Council’s overhaul of older people’s services.

Frome House, on Cranleigh Court, is due to shut by the end of the year, along with The Chase nursing home in Kingswood, to make way for two brand new multi-million pound care homes.

The closures are part of a complete service overhaul, which will see all of the authority’s eight nursing homes close.

During the next four years Alexandra Way in Thornbury, Wapley Court and Woodleaze, both in Yate, Charlton in Filton, Kerr House in Staple Hill and Newton House in Cadbury Heath will all close.

The 270 residents living at the homes will now be given support by a newly appointed team of social workers who will help them and their families find alternative accommodation.

The council decided to go ahead with its proposals after a three-month consultation, which found that 90 percent of the 600 people who replied said they supported the closures.

Peter Murphy, director for community care and housing, said: "We want to create the best possible support for older people for the future and we are talking the next 25 to 30 years, not just the next five years. We need to prepare for an ageing community."

As part of the scheme South Gloucestershire Council will also build 700 extra care housing units, allowing people to maintain greater independence, and increase investment in services to keep people at home, services for carers and preventative services.

As well as residents the council is now in talks with the 320 full and part time staff who work at its eight nursing homes. When the two new homes are complete there will only by 120 positions.

"Staff took part in the consultation and a lot agreed with the closures. There is a considerable gap between the staff numbers we have now and number of posts in the new homes but we are in constructive dialogue with Unison.

"All of our staff our qualified and provide good quality care. They have skills and experience that can easily work in the private sector," said Mr Murphy.

South Gloucestershire Council’s cabinet will discuss the overhaul of the older people’s services at its next meeting on Monday, February 1.