The parents of people with complex needs who rely on a “lifeline” service in Bath have been “kept in the dark” over its future, one mother has warned.
Wendy Lucas’ daughter, Rhiannon, is 28 and needs a constant high level of care. Ms Lucas only gets a full nights sleep twice a week when Rhiannon stays at Newton House, a respite care service on the edge of Bath.
It is the only place in the area which offers short stays for people with severe care needs, allowing their full-time carers to have a break.
Rhiannon has attended Newton House for ten years but in December, Bath and North East Somerset Council and care provider Dimensions, which runs the service, said it was “unviable” and would be shut down at the end of January.
After parents fought back and almost 3,000 people signed a petition, its closure was delayed and families have been told it will stay open all year.
Ms Lucas told a council scrutiny panel on March 10: “We are now in March and in reality if Newton House is not going to be there after January 2026 we need a solution by September 2025, if our children are to transfer to new providers in a sensible and safe manner. However, make no mistake, the parents preferred solution is to continue with Newton House.
“I continue to be exasperated by politicians at all levels who refuse to recognise our voice and talk over our needs. I understand that costs and budgets are important; Newton House is expensive. But I challenge each and every one of you to do what we do as parents each and every day.”
She said that families had held a “feisty” meeting with Dimensions in February, and she was set to meet with the council’s director of adult social care after the scrutiny panel meeting. But she said there was still no solution. She said: “As parents we have been kept in the dark.”
Keynsham window cleaner Richard Franklin, whose son also attends Newton House, raised the alarm on Facebook in November after he received a letter telling him the service would end. Ms Lucas said she would not have known about it if he had not, as her letter did not arrive. Top councillors and were also unaware until Mr Franklin shared the news.
Mr Franklin’s son Ryan Probert, also 28, has an unbalanced translocation of chromosomes which means he is small, is non-verbal, and needs medication and a very high level of care. Mr Franklin said Newton House was Ryan’s “lifeline.”
He said: “We are left to enjoy the free time, something of a bit of a normal life. We know Ryan enjoys his time there and away from us having a break is no difference to all our kids going away from their parents and enjoying that free time.”
The council’s children, adults, health, and wellbeing scrutiny panel will meet again to discuss a report over the closure of Newton House on April 14.