THE Daily Echo can reveal that elderly people are on a waiting list to get into one of the care homes threatened with closure despite city council claims that demand for its residential homes is falling, writes Matt Smith.

Unison, the union representing many of the care workers facing jobs losses, said five people are waiting to get into Birch Lawn and have been for a couple of months - a fact confirmed by the council.

Unions also fear all six council run care homes - Birch Lawn, Whitehaven Lodge, Woodside Lodge, Holcroft House, Brownhill House, and Glen Lee - will eventually close.

The council said the 33-bed Birch Lawn in Sholing has 26 residents, with six short-stay and one vacant bed. while the 55-bed Whitehaven Lodge in Millbrook has 36 residents, the rest of the beds were being held empty.

Jane Brentor, council head of health and community care, admitted there was a waiting list at Birch Lawn but said the council was planning for a future drop in demand.

"That home happens to be popular but we are seeing a reduction in the demand for that type of care overall in the city. We only have two of those types of homes," she said, adding other council-run homes offered specialist dementia care.

She claimed Whitehaven Lodge was "unpopular" and new admissions would be "inappropriate pending the (closure) decision to deliberately place people at that sort of risk."

She added the costs of providing care at the two threatened homes was higher than in the private sector by more than £50 a week. And said all private homes used by the council - which make up about two thirds of its residential care placements - were of comparable ratings to in-house ones.

Responding to criticism over a lack of consultation and debate Councillor Ivan White, Cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: "The wellbeing of those in our care is our priority, and we will be meeting with our customers and their families, and our staff to consider the conclusions of the review over the coming weeks, with a view to a decision on the future of our residential homes being made at the cabinet meeting on September 29."

He added: "The Cabinet will listen to the views of everyone."

He said the public and opposition councillors would also be able to make comments at the Cabinet meeting but that it was procedurally unnecessary, and would be "unusual", for full council to have the final say on such as decision.