Tewkesbury care home closure would have 'massive impact'

Yvonne Mitchell said her son Andrew would not be able to cope with being moved to a new home

The families of residents at a care home for people with learning difficulties have said its planned closure will have a "massive impact".

Charity Mencap says it can no longer afford to keep running The Sandfield residential home in Tewkesbury.

It could close in March but the mother of one resident said her son would "shut down" if he had to leave.

Mencap said the decision had been difficult and that residents' wellbeing was "of the utmost importance".

Families were told on 25 January that The Sandfield would close in late March unless a resident could be found to fill an empty room.

Yvonne Mitchell, whose son Andrew has lived there for 25 years, said the room had been vacant since 2018 and she had previously been given assurances from Mencap that it would work with Gloucestershire County Council to find a new resident.

Ms Mitchell and Val Thomas, whose sister Carol Sharpe also lives at The Sandfield, are now awaiting a meeting with the council.

Yvonne Mitchell (left) and Val Thomas (right) were "completely shocked" by Mencap's decision to pull out

Mr Mitchell has Down's syndrome and struggled on a previous occasion when he tried living in a different Mencap house in Gloucestershire.

Since moving to The Sandfield at the age of 19, Mr Mitchell, now 43, has gained confidence, said Ms Mitchell.

"He has the confidence to walk places on his own, he walks to my house and goes out with staff with much more confidence,

"The staff are brilliant and bring best out of him. Because of his Down's syndrome, he's quick to shut down, especially if routine changes, and he won't speak," she added.

Carol Sharpe, pictured with her nephew, hopes to find somewhere where her beloved cat, Star, can also live with her

Ms Thomas said her sister Carol, 72, has lived at the Mencap home for 15 years.

Ms Sharpe, who has almost lost her vision entirely and has difficulty eating, has become more independent since moving to The Sandfield, said Ms Thomas.

"She's keen to be involved if things are going on and that's why having staff that she knows and that know her and what her abilities are is vital," said Ms Thomas.

She added that hearing The Sandfield was closing had "completely shocked" her.

"It was just like the rug was pulled," she said.

"We would hope obviously that The Sandfield stays open but all this has got to be decided by the end of March. They've said they've got to move out by then and we're completely in the dark," added Ms Thomas.

Smooth transition

Jackie O'Sullivan, acting chief executive of Mencap, said the charity does not have sufficient funds to cover the costs of running the service, especially because of the empty room, which has "proved difficult to fill".

Ms O'Sullivan said: "We have explored alternative options but sadly, have not been able to find a solution alongside the council.

"They now have a duty to arrange the next steps in care provision.

"The wellbeing of the people who live at The Sandfield, and their families, is of the utmost importance to us. We know this change will be difficult for many of them and we are committed to providing a smooth transition to their next setting."

Gloucestershire County Council said it was disappointed that Mencap had taken the move and that it was working hard to secure a new provider to take over.

It added that it was hopeful that noone would have to move but alternative options were being looked at in case The Sandfield had to close.