DUDLEY'S last council-run residential care home is set to close, forcing nine permanent residents to move and putting 62 jobs at risk.

The closure of Russell Court Residential Intermediate Care Home later this year will save cash-strapped Dudley Council £500,000 in 2016-17 and an expected £1million in 2017/18.

Compulsory redundancies at the Overfield Road home will be a last resort according to Councillor Qadar Zada, cabinet member for adult social care.

He said the employees, who include care assistants, managers, kitchen staff and therapists, would be offered voluntary redundancy and the opportunity to move to vacant positions in the borough.

Cllr Zada, continued: “Over recent years Russell Court has moved from providing long term residential care to intermediate care on a short term basis and currently has nine long term residents.

"It does, however, now need substantial work to update it to the required standards for intermediate care and the decision has been taken to close it.

“The well-being of our residents is of the utmost importance and the council will support the nine residents to transfer to alternative homes which meet their current level of need.

“In the future our health and social care approach will focus on providing more support for people to remain living in their home for longer."

Councillor Paul Brothwood, leader of Dudley's UKIP group, said he was worried the closure would lead to bed-blocking.

He said: "My concern is that this is another short-term budget decision with long-term consequences. There is a lot of bed-blocking in the NHS and we need to make sure homes are available for people to go in rather than them being kept in beds."

Councillor Dean Perks told the News that it was "saddening" that the borough was losing its last local authority run care home.

The Upper Gornal and Woodsetton councillor said: "My fear is that we now use private homes because they are more cost effective. That's in the main because they pay low wages, which worries me as far as standards are concerned.

"I would seek assurance that these homes get stringent inspection on a regular basis for starters."

While Councillor Nicolas Barlow, shadow cabinet member for adult social care, said the decision was "very disappointing", he said it was not one the council had made lightly.

He continued: "The council has to look at the best way to manage the cost of long-term care and we have a lot of external providers who are able to provide that.

"One of the things the council has been looking at for some time is the duplication of services that are being provided. The council has always provided its own residential care but some people think it's a dated provision and something the council can't continue with as there are other providers providing good, quality care on a more cost effective basis."

Cllr Barlow added: "It's still in the early stages. A social worker has been allocated to each of the nine permanent residents and they are working with the individuals and their family members to look for appropriate alternative accommodation, we have a number of care providers across the borough.

"At any age it is always a worry and very unsettling for residents but we will have to make sure there is the right level of support to help with the transition."

The home is scheduled to close on September 30.