RadcliffesLeBrasseur is one the leading UK firms in the field of healthcare law and the firm has many years of experience in advising managers and operators of residential care homes, in both the public and private sectors.
We are also renowned for our specialist work in the field of mental health and public law, and are the recognised leader in advising the providers of mental health services.
The success of RadcliffesLeBrasseur in the residential care sector has been achieved though providing straightforward, practical advice. Our clients have direct access to the lawyers dealing with their concerns and, by working closely with our clients, we can provide cost-effective advice that takes full account of the special requirements of the health care sector. We also maintain a 24-hour help line to ensure our clients are supported with expert legal advice in the event of emergencies.
Members of our Care Homes team are very active in providing educational lectures, briefings and seminars, to keep our clients abreast of developments. In particular, we offer a monthly Care Homes bulletin aimed at operators of care homes and a monthly Mental Health Law briefing for providers of mental healthcare services.
We offer a complete range of services to the residential care sector, including advice on:
- the acquisition, disposal and re-financing of residential care homes
- property development and the construction of residential care homes
- agreements for the management, maintenance and refurbishment of residential care homes
- residents and commissioners contracts
- occupant care complaints and medical negligence issues
- untoward incidents, inquests and investigations
- registration and other regulatory matters
- representation at the Care Standards Tribunal
- advice on legal relationships with suppliers, including medical equipment manufacturers, IT service providers, caterers and suppliers of food and other products/services
- employment advice, including contracts, dismissals, union relations, tribunal claims, transfer of business issues and redundancy
- business immigration law, including work permits
- advice on computer-related issues, including data protection
- trade descriptions, health and safety, food hygiene and other general regulatory issues
- dispute resolution, including debt collection and the handling of complaints by occupants.
Our clients include several owners and operators of residential care homes including several of the largest national care home providers. Our experience of working with clients in the residential care sector enables us to put together a team of lawyers with the necessary skills and experience to provide a tailored, efficient service to our clients.
Current clients include:
Four Seasons Health Care, Care UK, Priory Healthcare, and Cygnet Healthcare.
We provide without charging a series of “Care Homes Briefings” because of the growing need for expert advice in this market. Email publications are available for individual transmission to multi-site operators.
Examples of our relevant experience include:
- acting for a listed plc in the £17m purchase of three companies and business in the specialist care sector
- handling the £5.8m acquistion of an LLP which operates care homes
- advising on the £5.2m acquistion of a care homes group
- handling the £5m sale of two nursing care homes
- advising on the £3.5m purchase of a care home in Worcestershire
- handling numerous sales of nursing homes on behalf of bank receivers
- drafting and negotiating an agreement for the construction and development of a residential care home, including all negotiations with contractors
- advising a care home operator on a funding dispute with a PCT
- advising care homes on complaints relating to standards of care
- representing care homes at inquests
- drafting and advising on policy documentation for care homes
- advising care homes on the handling of press relations
- handling registration issues with CSCI
- advising care homes on issues arising under the Mental Health Act
- advising care homes on Human Rights matters
- advising on data protection and patient/employee records
- acting on local authority funding disputes and debts
- advising on planning matters affecting care homes
- advising on restrictive covenants preventing the development of property as a care facility
- advising on police investigation of resident assault allegations