Help save our care homes
It’s a Home. Not an Asset.
☼ STOP the Tory Sell-Off
Protect Bishop Herbert House
Bishop Herbert House is a residential home for people with physical disabilities.
It is a home for 14 adults. It is where routines, friendships and trusted support have been built over years.
Now its future is being decided.
We are applying to register Bishop Herbert House as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) and we need your support.
About
The wider change
This is not an isolated decision.
NorseCare, which currently runs council-owned care homes, has said it is withdrawing from care provision when its contract ends in March 2026.
At the same time, the Council has been progressing an “in principle” proposal to transfer NorseCare and around 20 council-owned care homes to Stow Healthcare.
Stow Healthcare has been acquired by CGEN Care, a US-based care operator.
This means council-owned care homes could ultimately move under large corporate ownership through this transaction.
The local decision
On 26 January 2026, Norfolk County Council Cabinet agreed to treat Bishop Herbert House as “surplus to requirements” and to sell it to Norse.
Norse is wholly owned by the Council, but it operates independently at arm’s length.
What’s Happening
Why this matters
Because NorseCare is withdrawing, Bishop Herbert House is not being sold as a straightforward handover of a running care home.
The building is being sold while the future of care provision is being dealt with separately.
To enable the sale, the Council has agreed that Norse’s existing lease can be surrendered so the freehold can be sold.
For residents, this is not just administrative detail.
It affects where they live and who ultimately controls their home.
The background
Who Are Stow Healthcare?
Stow Healthcare is a private care home operator.
The Council has been progressing an “in principle” transfer of NorseCare and 20 council-owned care homes to Stow.
Stow Healthcare has itself been acquired by CGEN Care, a US-based care group.
That means council homes that were publicly owned could ultimately sit within a large, internationally owned corporate structure.
Some people see this as modernisation.
Others see it as privatisation of local care services.
Reasonable people can disagree.
What should not be controversial is that residents deserve stability and transparency.
Concern
This represents a significant shift:
The Council stepping back from directly owning care homes
The restructuring or transfer of NorseCare
The potential movement of council homes into corporate ownership
Bishop Herbert House is not an empty building.
It is a home for disabled residents who rely on stability, familiarity and trusted support.
Uncertainty is not a small thing when you depend on care.
That is why we are acting now.
Why We Are Concerned
ACVs
What Is an Asset of Community Value?
An Asset of Community Value (ACV) is a legal designation that recognises a building’s importance to the social wellbeing of the community.
Residential care homes can qualify.
If Bishop Herbert House is listed as an ACV:
The community must be formally notified before a sale proceeds
A legal pause period is triggered
Community groups can come together and prepare alternatives
It does not permanently block a sale.
It does not force the Council to sell to the community.
It simply gives us time.
And time matters.
Signing
What Signing Means (And the Risks)
There are no personal risks to signing.
Signing:
Costs nothing
Creates no financial liability
Does not commit you to buying anything
Does not affect your care, tenancy or benefits
Does not involve you in legal action
It simply shows that you support the ACV application being considered.
If you live at Bishop Herbert House, signing does not change your care arrangements.
It adds your voice.
Alternatives
Community Interest Company (CIC)
A social enterprise model widely used in health and social care.
Profits are reinvested for community benefit.
Registered Charity Ownership
A charity could own the building and protect it for community use.
Community Benefit Society
A democratic community ownership structure with an asset lock.
We are not pretending there is one simple answer.
If ACV status is granted, we will explore practical, realistic options, including:
What Could the Alternatives Be?
Partnership Model
Community or charity ownership with a regulated care provider delivering services.
Housing Association Partnership
Separating property ownership from care delivery in a stable, regulated way.
Long Lease / Community Asset Transfer
Protecting the building for community use without outright sale.
No model has been decided.
The purpose of ACV status is to create time to examine what best protects residents’ safety, dignity and long-term stability.
FAQs
Is this about stopping change?
1
No. It’s about ensuring change is properly considered and residents are protected.
Does ACV status stop the sale forever?
2
No. It creates a legal pause and a chance for community proposals.
Why act now?
3
Because once ownership transfers, influence becomes harder.
Is this political?
4
The decision is political. Our response is about protecting residents and ensuring scrutiny.
Sign up
Add Your Name
If you believe Bishop Herbert House is a home — not simply an asset to be disposed of — please stand with us.
Add your name to support the Asset of Community Value application.