Anger as care home residents told to leave site

Residents have been told to vacate Foster Court in Stoke-on-Trent

Residents have been told to move out of a care home in a move branded a “scandal” by one family.

People living at Foster Court in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, were informed by operator Mencap they would have to relocate to alternative accommodation.

It came after the charity pulled out of its contract with Stoke-on-Trent City Council due to what it described as a lack of funding.

Mencap said the council’s funding was not enough to cover the costs of operating Foster Court, while the authority said it had made multiple offers of support.

Resident Susan Mountford has lived at the site, which cares for people with learning and physical disabilities, for 10 years.

She has needed 24-hour care since she was struck down with meningitis and her brother Kevin Mountford said plans were being made to move her in with him.

“It’s a scandal. The people living there are the most needy in society and they are being neglected,” he said.

“They were like a little family over there and they are just going to be split up and go all over the city. It’s terrible.”

The residents were initially informed that they would need to move out by the end of June but this has since been delayed by three months.

Mencap told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the funding from the council did not cover the costs of operating the care home.

It currently looks after six Stoke-on-Trent residents and two from the Staffordshire Moorlands at the care home.

A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: “Stoke-on-Trent City Council has made multiple attempts to support Mencap, ahead of their decision to serve notice on the Foster Court site, Blurton.”

They said the support included a financial review, which was not taken up by the charity, and that alternative accommodation had been sourced by the authority.

“We understand this is a very stressful time for those involved, and want to reassure those impacted, we are doing everything we can to support them during these turbulent times,” the spokesperson added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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