Elderly residents face move upheaval as Telford care home to close

The Farcroft care home, in North Road, Wellington, provides accommodation and care services for up to 41 older people, including those with dementia and associated conditions.

Residents at the care home, which is operated by GreenSquareAccord, are understood to include a mixture of people who pay for their own care and some who are funded by Telford & Wrekin Council. All the residents of advanced years face the challenge of being moved out.

Employees at the site have also been told that their jobs are at risk of redundancy.

A spokesman for Telford & Wrekin Council confirmed that they have been told that a decision to close down has been made.

"We have been informed that GreenSquareAccord has taken the difficult decision to close down the Farcroft care home in the borough," the spokesperson said.

"Over the coming weeks, we will work closely with Farcroft to assist their customers and families in finding alternative accommodation that best meet their care and support needs, aiming to make the transition as easy as possible for them."

The spokesman added: "We would like to thank Farcroft for their dedicated care and service to the local community throughout the years."

A person who has knowledge of the situation but did not wish to be named said: "They have six weeks to find the residents new homes and employees have been given until June 30.

"I do not thing the way it has been handled is appropriate. It is affecting people who are very old. I've heard that the oldest person there is 102 and they were told it would be their forever home."

A letter from the company seen by the Shropshire Star said the decision was a financial one that has been linked the the development of a new facility in North Road. It says the Farcroft site is inappropriate and the firm was hoping to move residents there.

But it says that after two years of operation at Farcroft the financial situation in the care sector means the new development cannot be afforded.

The letter says that there are "significant challenges in the financial landscape" for GreenSquareAccord which is a not-for-profit company based in Chippenham, Wiltshire.

It owns other sites in Telford and around the country, saying it is proud to be able to support tens of thousands of people across England by providing affordable housing and care to help people live independently.

A spokesperson for GreenSquareAccord says: “We have made the difficult decision to close Farcroft on June 30, 2023.

“We intended for Farcroft to be a solution following the closure of Cartlidge House while a new extra care facility was built at North Road.

“Significant changes in the financial landscape present challenges for all housing and care providers. As a not-for-profit organisation we have had to make difficult decisions about our investments which unfortunately means our North Road development is no longer viable.

“The service at Farcroft is also not sustainable in the long-term, there is less demand for residential care and the age and layout of the building isn’t right for our customers who live there. We have a duty of care to ensure all customers live in accommodation which can meet their needs into the future, and we are unable to guarantee this in this building.

“Preserving the care of our customers and protecting their safety and dignity is our top priority. We are working closely with Telford & Wrekin Council to make sure there is a smooth transition for all customers. We are committed to doing everything we can to support customers and their families every step of the way.”