A motion calling on Suffolk County Council to improve its care home provision has been voted down.

Labour councillors put forward the motion at a meeting of the full council at Endeavour House in Ipswich yesterday.

It asked for the Conservative-led council to: stop placing people in poorly-rated care homes; to work with companies to agree payment rates that are high enough to sustain a good level of care for residents; and to consider establishing a council-run training system for care home staff.

The motion was proposed by Labour’s group leader Sandy Martin and seconded by Bryony Rudkin.

However, the majority of councillors in the meeting did not vote in favour of the motion.

Sarah Adams, the Labour group spokeswoman for health and adult care, said she was bitterly disappointed the motion had not been passed.

She added: “A new council-run training programme would have improved the delivery of training for care home staff, enabling the council to maintain the quality of care across the county.

“And the practice of placing residents in inadequate care homes is simply not good enough and has to stop.”

A county councillor representing the Conservative group was not reachable for comment.