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Council meeting minutes, translated into plain English
Friday, 11 September 2026
Norfolk council set to sell care homes arm amid secrecy row
Norfolk County Council is pressing ahead with the sale of Norse Care Limited to Stow Healthcare, despite calls from councillors to pause the process and open negotiations to scrutiny. A short-term contract extension has been put in place to maintain continuity for residents while the deal is finalised.
Friday, 11 September 2026
Monday, 3 August 2026
Norfolk housing care shake-up: staff rights protected as Norse Care exits
Norfolk County Council has confirmed that care staff will transfer to two new providers under TUPE employment protections, and that the council has made additional payments to ensure workers retain access to their Local Government Pension Scheme. Residents' assessed care levels will not change without their agreement during the transition.
Disabled children waiting up to 16 weeks for Short Breaks support in Norfolk
Some families of disabled children in Norfolk are waiting up to 16 weeks for Short Breaks services, the county council has confirmed. Cabinet members say additional temporary staff have been brought in and normal waiting times are expected to return by September.
Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Thursday, 28 May 2026
Council rejects motion to protect social care and SEND from budget cuts
A motion calling for guarantees that efficiency savings would not reduce frontline care hours or worsen SEND assessment backlogs was defeated by 50 votes to 24. The council faces a £41.6 million funding gap that threatens adult social care and children's services.
Council votes to halt sale of Norfolk care homes to overseas firm
A motion to pause the planned sell-off of all 20 Norfolk County Council care homes to an overseas-owned company was defeated at the May 2026 full council meeting. The previous administration had agreed in principle to sell the homes, which are run by council-owned Norse Care. The new administration voted down the motion 52 to 25.
Council votes to review £3m heating oil fund amid rural cost crisis
Norfolk County Council has voted to review its £3 million Heating Oil Crisis Fund after concerns that eligibility rules are leaving struggling households without support. Around 70,000 Norfolk homes rely on heating oil and many fall outside the current income thresholds. The motion was narrowly defeated on the chair's casting vote, but sparked significant debate.
Tuesday, 28 April 2026
Wednesday, 22 April 2026
Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Tuesday, 24 March 2026
Council Rejects Motion on CQC Scrutiny After Care Reports 'Risk Being Buried'
Norfolk County Council voted down a motion calling for tougher scrutiny of Care Quality Commission reports, after councillors raised concerns that damning inspection findings on adult social care and Swallowtail Place had not been properly examined. The motion failed 19 votes to 31.
Council Votes Down Call for Care Home Survey Before Any Sale
Councillors rejected a motion demanding condition surveys of all council-owned care homes before any disposal of the care estate goes ahead. The motion argued the widely-cited £80m upgrade figure was being misrepresented, and called for NorseCare to be considered as a standalone social enterprise.
Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Norfolk launches All-Age Carers Strategy to better support unpaid carers
Norfolk County Council has set out a new All-Age Carers Strategy aimed at improving support for unpaid carers of all ages, from young carers in schools to adults who may not even realise they are caring for someone. The strategy was co-designed with carers and builds on recommendations from a recent Care Quality Commission inspection report.
Norfolk overhauls adult social care with 22-project transformation plan
Norfolk County Council's adult social care service is pushing forward a major overhaul involving 22 separate projects, covering areas from day centres to nursing home provision and new technology. Councillors raised concerns about bureaucracy, market stability, and whether small care providers will be supported through the changes.