Disability charity Scope will transfer its services to a private healthcare company, Salutem Healthcare, it has been announced.
Scope is transferring its services to a newly set up division of the healthcare company, Ambito. The services are likely to transfer at the beginning of next year, once the transfer of registration has been confirmed.
The services transferring across include three education facilities, all of its 38 care homes and 10 day services located across England and Wales. Approximately 1,300* Scope staff will move across, including the senior leadership team of Scope's services who will transfer to Salutem to "ensure continuity of care and education" for Scope's customers and pupils.
Scope announced in April that it would be transferring all its regulated and day services to other providers, along with much of the estate and current services built up by the organisation since it was founded.
Mark Atkinson, Scope’s chief executive, said at the time that this would “allow Scope to refocus on doing less, reaching more and having greater impact,” but he said it would “mean an initial reduction in our annual income by 40 per cent and see the number of employees reduce by two thirds”.
Atkinson said in a statement today: "Since announcing our new strategy, Everyday Equality, in April, we’ve been working towards transferring our regulated and day services to a new, credible provider.
"This is because we’ve recognised that we need to focus on activities that will enable us to reach the most amount of disabled people and to bring about social change. We’ll continue to develop and grow our campaigns, our influencing work and our information and advice offering.
“Our board of trustees set a rigorous criteria to identify a new provider. We were determined to ensure continuity of care for our customers and pupils, continuity of employment to staff and that any new provider had a strong track record of delivering high quality services.
“We’ll continue working closely with all of our staff in services as well as the disabled people and their families who are supported in our care homes, schools, college and day centres. Ensuring stability and security for everyone in our services remains our top priority.”
In a statement, John Godden, chief executive of Salutem Healthcare, said: “Together with Scope’s existing service based staff and established senior leadership team we will work together to continue the high standards and ethos that Scope has created, and to deliver and enhance these services going forward.
“I am delighted to be welcoming the staff and service users that will be joining us from Scope. They will become part of an excellent care organisation that will continue to strive to provide and benefit from the best in care provision.”
*This article was amended on 19 December following clarification from Scope regarding the number of staff to be transferred
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