Future Care
Future Care
West Sussex County Council’s Future Care programme aims to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality, sustainable adult social care services now and in the future.
The programme supports the priorities in Our Council Plan and the Adult Social Care Strategy, and how we respond to the challenges of:
- A growing and ageing population
- Increasingly complex care needs
- Rising costs of delivering care
- The need to modernise services
Future Care is not about reducing care. It is about making sure we can continue to meet people’s needs in the right way for them and the best way possible for the council.
What’s in scope?
The programme is reviewing all residential care services for adults that are provided by the county council.
The council runs six residential homes. New Tyne in Worthing cares for older people with dementia, while five others across the county support people with learning disabilities.
In total, the homes currently support around 130 people with social care needs, who are looked after by a workforce of around 227 people.
The review is looking at:
- The condition and suitability of our buildings
- The cost of running services compared to alternatives
- The availability of good quality care in the independent sector
- The needs and preferences of current and future residents
Read more on residential services for people with learning disabilities and residential services for older people with dementia.
The programme is currently reviewing New Tyne residential care home in Worthing.
The proposal for New Tyne
The county council is proposing to stop providing services at New Tyne care home in Worthing and support the residents into alternative care and staff into alternative employment. It is not a proposal that we are taking lightly. It is currently home to 12 older people living with dementia.
The proposal is based on the key findings of the review including:
- The cost of running the home is significantly higher than commissioning equivalent care from other providers.
- The building would require significant investment to renovate in future to meet modern standards for dementia care.
- There are enough care home places for older people with dementia in the Worthing area and across West Sussex to meet the needs of the current residents at a price that the council can afford.
How would the council support residents?
Every resident will be supported to move to a suitable alternative home.
Our teams have a lot of experience supporting people to move to alternative care, sometimes in urgent, emergency situations.
We take a personalised approach, working with the individual, their families and carers, to assess their preferences, needs, capabilities, strengths, and best interests, and determine the alternatives. This could include remaining in the area or possibly moving somewhere to be closer to loved ones.
In all we do, we put the individual at the centre of our plans, ensuring their families are fully involved, and proceed with dignity, empathy and respect.
How would the council support staff?
All staff employed at New Tyne who are employees of the county council will be consulted with on the redundancy process. Redeployment options will be explored with individuals and, where necessary, redundancy decisions will be taken.
Why is the council not consulting on the proposal?
We are not running a formal consultation on the proposal to close New Tyne because, put simply, there is no other workable option.
The quality of care at New Tyne is indisputable, but it is an expensive model that does not provide the council with the flexibility it needs to sustain the level of care current and future residents would need for the long term.
So, it would be unfair and disingenuous to consult on whether to close when there is only one feasible recommendation.
There will be however a three-week period where staff, residents and residents’ families and advocates at New Tyne, as well as county council councillors and UNISON, can make representations in relation to the proposed decision.
How will the decision be made?
The proposal to cease services at New Tyne was discussed at a meeting of the council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee on 17 September 2025.
The council’s Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services Councillor Amanda Jupp will consider the views, representations and recommendations of the committee, residents’ families and staff, prior to making her decision on the proposal, which is expected in October.
Can I have a say?
We are giving staff, residents and residents’ families and advocates at New Tyne, as well as County Councillors and UNISON the opportunity to share their concerns and views on the decision to close.
We are not inviting representations from general members of the public.
Members of the public can always contact their local councillor about issues concerning them.
Future Care next steps
We will update this page as the Future Care programme progresses.