Council to close Telford care home for adults with learning disabilities
One of Telford's two council-run care homes for adults with learning disabilities is set to close, forcing residents to move and risking jobs.
It will force 25 members of staff and 13 people living at Carwood in Stirchley to relocate — some of whom have been there for over 35 years.
The shake-up would also see three jobs across residential services lost.
Telford & Wrekin Council bosses said the authority could no longer afford to run two residential homes due to a fall in admissions.
It comes following the closure of a number of care homes across Shropshire in recent months as Government funding cuts bite.
Residents and frontline members of staff will be able to move to Downing House in Wellington, the authority's other care facility for adults with learning disabilities.
The three job losses would be across the whole service's back office function and not at Carwood, council bosses confirmed.
In the last 12 months, only one person has moved into Downing House and no one into Carwood.
The two homes will soon have eight full time beds vacant.
As a result, there is only enough demand and funding for one residential home, so the council is proposing to concentrate its residential services at Downing House.
But some residents have already chosen to go back to living independently in the community.
Councillor Arnold England, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for Adult Social Care, added: "Unfortunately we can't afford to keep two residential homes open and operating with such a high vacancy rate and falling demand."
The changes are set to be in place by the end of 2016.
