Race row over private care home place offer

Coventry social services department has defended its decision to
issue a licence to a private care home whose residents later
objected to a man moving in because he was black.

Sawarn Malhotra of the Coventry race equality council, said the
family of 76-year-old Clifton Golding were now taking legal advice
over the actions of the Cordelia Court Home and Coventry social
services department.

Malhotra said: “Social services is failing to ask the right
questions of organisations it makes contractual arrangements with –
questions like are you able to provide for different communities
and their needs?”

But a spokesperson for the council, which is responsible for the
inspection and registration of care homes, said they had advised
the home’s owner Ken Grasby to tell residents that such behaviour
was unacceptable.

“We get home owners to sign a contract, part of which is to
treat all residents equally, and with regard to our equal
opportunities policy,” she said.

Grasby denied that Golding had been refused a place, explaining
that he had approached social services for advice before confirming
the offer of a place to Golding.

“I’ve told residents that if they don’t like that, they can make
other arrangements,” Grasby said. However, the family withdrew
their interest, he added.

Chairperson of the Association of Directors of Social Services
health and social exclusion committee John Beer called for a
general review of how homeowners were informed of their
responsibilities regarding minority communities.

“Rather than waiting for a black resident to come to homes, they
should be looking at how they can prepare for it to happen. All
care homes will eventually reflect the community they serve,” he
said.