by Hayley Robinson

Southern Cross care home residents are being assured there is no immediate likelihood of them having to move.

The group is shutting down after landlords owning all 752 of its homes said they wanted to leave.

This came after a refinancing plan for the Darlington-based business collapsed.

The landlords are now in talks about taking responsibility for their individual homes.

Kent County Council (KCC) has about 100 elderly people in five homes in east Kent, including Elvy Court, Sittingbourne, where there are 56 residents. Almost half of them were placed there by KCC.

Cllr Graham Gibbens, cabinet member for adult social care, admits the change would create anxiety.

He said: "I accept this is a time of uncertainty. We have been monitoring the homes very carefully in the past few weeks.

"I am assured the services in each of these homes will continue and carry on.

"As far as the homes are concerned, it is premature to say what is going to happen but it will become clearer when the future is decided by the landlord and the company."

Asked if KCC had contingency plans in the event landlords decided they did not wish to take over the homes, he said: "There is capacity across Kent but I do not think that is likely [to be needed] in the short term.

"We are looking at that as an extreme case."

Southern Cross has 10 homes in Kent, which look after privately-supported residents as well those placed by local authorities.