North Wales care home operators have accused some local authorities of using “bullying tactics” as providers unite to challenge a proposed contract they fear could threaten the future of care for elderly residents.

Care home providers from across the region have formed a new action group to oppose a proposed Pre-Placement Agreement being led by Denbighshire County Council on behalf of the North Wales Regional Partnership Board.

The group says the proposed agreement, which runs to around 90 pages, is heavily weighted in favour of public bodies and does not provide sufficient guarantees over fair and sustainable fees for independent care and nursing homes.

Providers say they have been given just a matter of weeks to consider the document before an early December deadline. They are calling for a six-month extension to allow the terms to be properly scrutinised, with implementation delayed until April 1, the start of the new financial year.

The action group has also highlighted what it describes as a growing divide between care home fees in North and South Wales.

It claims some homes in South East Wales receive up to £17,000 more per resident each year than providers in North Wales for delivering the same level of publicly funded care under the same regulations.

Kevin Jones, Regional Manager of Vshans Care, which operates five homes in Conwy, said residents were being “badly short-changed” by what he described as a “totally flawed” document.

He said the lack of a clear methodology for calculating fees, along with no guarantee of annual increases, could undermine providers’ ability to maintain standards and invest in their homes.

“We need time to ensure the agreement is robust enough and that it’s meeting the needs of the independent providers and that it is giving us safety and security to carry on what we are doing looking after the vulnerable, elderly population of North Wales,” he said.

“The feeling is immensely strong which is why we have come together as a group of care providers who share the same values and vision of delivering excellent care.

“If we don’t stand up and be counted on this issue we will be letting down the vulnerable people who are at the heart of what we do every day.”

Kevin Edwards, Managing Director of Meddyg Care, which has care homes in Criccieth, Porthmadog and Rhyl, as well as a domiciliary care company in Gwynedd, said the timetable for introducing the agreement was unfair.

“They are trying to push it through with indecent haste at the worst time of the year, in December, when providers are busy and hospitals are struggling because of winter pressures,” he said.

“If there is no agreement in place there is no rationale for us to take placements and that’s going to have a knock-on effect on the wider health and social care system.

“There’s a tremendous amount of anger out there from providers who don’t appreciate the bullying tactics by some local authorities.”

Ceri Roberts, a Director of Cariad Care, which operates two homes in Porthmadog and Criccieth, said providers had been discussing the introduction of a Pre-Placement Agreement for many years.

“They have been trying to implement a Pre-Placement Agreement for the past 15 years but the problem with this is that it is very much biased towards the local authorities and the health board – and not the providers,” she said.

“If we have a Pre-Placement Agreement in place that is fair to all parties then that is a good thing for everybody because, importantly, a fair agreement will provide protection for the people for whom we provide care.”

Steffan Robbins, Managing Director of the Orme View Residential and Dementia Care Home in Llandudno, said the proposed contract did not provide enough clarity over how fees would be reviewed to reflect the rising cost of delivering care.

“Operating in the care sector is extremely challenging and fair, sustainable fees are essential if we want to protect care provision for future generations,” he said.

“While we have constructive relationships with a number of local authorities, my concern is that the proposed agreement doesn’t provide sufficient clarity about how fees will be reviewed each year to reflect the actual costs of delivering care.

“An unrealistic fee is simply unsustainable. We’ve already seen care homes close across North Wales, with financial pressures contributing to the challenges facing the sector.

“Without fair and sustainable fees, we risk seeing further reductions in care home capacity at precisely the time when demand is increasing.

“Ultimately, this is about our parents, grandparents and loved ones, who will suffer if we cannot maintain a sustainable care sector.”

The providers say they support the principle of a regional approach but want more time to negotiate an agreement they believe is fair to care homes, commissioners and, most importantly, the people who rely on their services.

Denbighshire County Council and the North Wales Regional Partnership Board have been approached for comment.