By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Plans to end a “lifeline” service for people with severe care needs in Bath and North East Somerset have been paused after a public outcry.
Newton House in Bath offers “respite care” — short stays for people with severe care needs to allow full-time carers to have a short break — but care provider Dimensions and Bath and North East Somerset Council wrote to users last week stating that the service would stop at the end of January. Julie Franklin, whose son Ryan Probert requires a very high level of care, said the letter had been a “massive shock.”
Ryan’s stepfather Richard Franklin said: “They haven’t thought this through. […] It’s just an invaluable service. Not just for us but other people as well.” A petition the Keynsham family started to save the service was signed by over 1,300 people in three days. Then last night (Monday December 9), Bath and North East Somerset Council wrote again to families to say that the planned closure had now been “paused” and to apologise for distress caused.
In the message, the council’s cabinet member for adult services Alison Born (Widcombe and Lyncombe, Liberal Democrat) said she became aware of the planned closure at the end of last week. She said: “It has been agreed that the closure will be paused to allow time for the needs of all current users of the service to be reviewed and for alternative services to be identified in advance of any change to the provision at Newton House.
“I have also requested an up to date report on our respite offer across Bath and North East Somerset and have asked that all families currently using Newton House are advised that the planned closure has been paused while this work takes place.
“Once this communication has been made, a letter will be sent to each of the families, confirming the change to the original plan and our intention that they will have access to the appropriate respite services to meet their needs. The respite services offered at Newton House have been operating at approximately 60% occupancy, which led the operators to consider their best options for financial stability going forwards.
“The proposed change was intended to make the best use of this important facility and to ensure that it was meeting local needs but I understand the lack of clarity about alternative provision for each of the existing users has created uncertainty and I am sorry about the distress caused.
“I hope this provides reassurance that we understand how vitally important respite care is and that service users and their families will be involved fully in the revised process.”
Mr Franklin said it was “great news” that the closure had been paused but said “it beggars belief” that the council did not know what other provision it had. He said: “It’s caused so much stress and worry at this time of the year.”
He added that the service was only 60% full because people were not getting the funding they deserved. He said that Ryan had only just gone through the review process two weeks ago due to a mistake on the council’s behalf, having to go to a panel twice to get back the care he previously received.
Newton House would have become a residential care home for people with learning disabilities, but the sudden decision to close the home without families or council members being aware has also triggered outrage among councillors. Robin Moss (Westfield, Labour), who leads the opposition Labour group on the council, said: “The way this has happened has been absolutely totally unacceptable.”
He added: “I will be taking this up as leader of the opposition at the highest level to express my anger at how this decision has been taken without any consultation and without any consideration of the distress that this will cause families just before Christmas.”
Alan Hale (Keynsham South, Independent) said: “I am pleased that having raised this issue immediately with councillor Born, only a few hours after she was aware, the closure has been paused to understand the needs of service users. It is a great shame that that understanding was not sought before sending a letter to users telling them of the closure.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service last week, Mr Franklin said Newton House is “an actual lifeline.” He said: “Just some time to have normality, whatever that means. […] It makes a big difference.”
Ryan is 28 and has an unbalanced translocation of chromosomes which means he is small, is non-verbal, and needs medication and a very high level of care. Ms Franklin said it had taken time to get used to his stays at Newton House, and for the team at the home to get used to Ryan’s needs and medications, with Julie originally sending someone with him when he stayed there.
But now she said: “We know we can trust them. We know we don’t have to worry. […] It’s not like you can just rock up with him anywhere and just leave him. I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
Mr Franklin said: “We have built up a relationship and there’s a lot of trust going both ways […] They do a bloody good job.”
He added: “You have got to have trust in these people to do the right things, because Ryan hasn’t got a voice. He’s non-verbal, though he’s a very happy chappy.”
He said: “This is not something you can just set up in a week. If you are going to close a centre down then you must have provision in place.”
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