York House care home which is set to close down will hold consultation with staff over redundancies

Livability York House Ossett, which is home to 15 people, said it will shut down following a review into financial viability and sustainability.

Families of residents reacted with shock at the decision.

Livability, the charity that owns the home, said the review was to ensure the building was fit for purpose, future-proofed and could meet the needs of the people in its care.

It said there were 31 staff contracted at the service and 44 staff affected in total and was entering a period of consultation with the staff team at the end of which the chaity will be able to confirm whether redundancies are necessary.

The charity met with residents and their families last week to talk through what is happening and next steps.

It said staff would be working closely with the people the home supports and their social workers on individual transitional plans, identifying suitable properties for their future needs.

A spokesperson for Liveability said: “Unfortunately, rising costs for the needed maintenance of this building have led to the decision to close.

"These maintenance projects are large and costly.

"After careful consideration, we have concluded that it is not possible to sustain the service and trustees have taken the decision to close Livability York House Ossett.

"This decision has not been taken lightly, the service has 40 strong years of history behind it and we do not underestimate the impact on the people we support and their families, especially those that have been longstanding residents of the service.

"Staff will be working closely with those we support and their social workers on individual transitional plans identifying suitable properties for their future needs.

"Livability will strive to maintain the best continuity of care and support the residents through this difficult time.

"Livability thanks the people we support, staff and supporters in the Ossett community who have contributed so much to the work of Livability locally.”

It is expected the home will close on November 14.