‘Devastating’ as Hawthorns Care Home could close leaving 23 vulnerable elderly Buxton residents homeless

The Salvation Army’s The Hawthorns residential care home is under consultation for closing in November and if it goes ahead the residents who are currently there will need to find alternative housing and staff will lose their jobs.

Several people have contacted us about the possible closure but fearing repercussions have asked to remain anonymous.

One said: “This decision has sent shockwaves through our community, and I feel compelled to speak on behalf of the residents, families, and dedicated staff who now face an uncertain and distressing future.

“For decades, this home has been more than a facility — it has been a sanctuary of safety, and compassion for some of our town’s most elderly residents.

“Many live with conditions such as dementia, limited mobility, or chronic conditions. For them, continuity of care is not just preferable — it is essential.

“The closure threatens to uproot dozens of residents placing them at significant risk of emotional trauma, confusion, and decline.

“The elderly do not adapt easily to change, especially when dealing with memory loss or cognitive impairment.

“Displacement in these circumstances can be deeply harmful — and in some cases, life-shortening.”

The Hawthorns, located on Burlington Road in Buxton, marked its 90th birthday in April after being established in the town in 1935.

Opening its doors initially as a women’s refuge for ladies experiencing homelessness and escaping trauma such as domestic violence and prostitution. Withstanding the turbulent time of the second world war and continuing to operate through a global pandemic, The Hawthorns has seen many changes over the years.

It began to welcome males in the 1970s and then its first older people in the 1980s.

The Hawthorns is now the only expression of The Salvation Army in Buxton after the church and community centre shut in 1949.

The concerned family member continued and said: “The rationale for the closure is The Salvation Army lacks the specialist clinical expertise to continue operating the home which may be administratively convenient, but it is devastating in practice.

“Rather than explore partnership options with healthcare providers or invest in appropriate upskilling, the charity has chosen to withdraw entirely, abandoning those in their care and creating a vacuum in local elderly services.”

She said: “Families are being left in limbo — heartbroken, anxious, and angry — with no clear alternative provision.

“The reality is stark: there is already a shortage of residential care placements in Derbyshire.

“This closure will only increase pressure on overstretched services and push desperate families into crisis.

“Our elderly deserve better.

“They deserve stability, compassion, and a sense of home — not to be treated as logistical problems.

“Let us not allow silence to be our response to this crisis. The lives and wellbeing of our elderly depend on it.”

The staff were told of the possible closure over a zoom meeting and come November it means those who collectively have decades of care experience face redundancy.

The concerned family member said: “The announcement has come as a devastating blow to the staff — experienced, compassionate carers who have supported these residents with unwavering commitment.

“The relationships built over years of care are not easily replicated elsewhere.

“These staff members now face redundancy, and residents the loss of the only familiar faces they trust.”

Another anonymous email said: “It is so unfair not only for the residents who can't help having to live there but to all the lovely dedicated caring staff who now have no jobs and mortgages to pay.

“It's disgusting.”

The Salvation Army has 11 care home and day care facilities across The Hawthorns is one of five which were given notice of the consulation to close.

But it was not a failing institution.

The care home is graded as good by the Care Quality Commission in all areas of being safe, effective, caring, well led and responsive.

A spokesperson for the Salvation Army said: “We are doing everything we can to support all those affected by this process and are currently in a consultation period with staff and residents so it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further at this stage.

“If after the consultation process, it is decided that The Hawthorns will close, we will immediately start working with the families and our partners to ensure every resident has a new home.”

The Salvation Army announced on July, 1 it will ‘transition from providing residential care for older people to grow its community-based support model’.

The charity says shifting focus from residential settings to community-based support will help reach deeper into communities and support more people who are isolated and vulnerable, particularly older people living in poverty.

Work is underway to actively explore transferring six care homes to alternative providers and there has already been positive industry interest. However, a formal consultation is due to begin on the possible closure of the remaining care homes which included the Hawthorns.

Glenda Roberts, Salvation Army director of older people's services said: “Our residential care homes are places of great love and care, but they do not have the specialised clinical expertise required by an aging population who are increasingly developing more complex conditions.

“Our buildings would also require significant modernisation.

“Taking action now will allow us to reach more people in the future but we know how difficult it will be for residents and our staff will find this news. “Our immediate focus is on our current residents, their loved ones and of course our staff while we make this change.”

Following the consultation, Glenda says if a home does close, they will be looking to ‘settle every single resident into new accommodation’ but it is not known where that would be.