Care company in Cambridgeshire ends contracts due to 'recruitment difficulties'

Stuart Leithes went to visit mum Tamsin Olney, who relies on help from carers to look after her 19-year-old son

A care provider says it can no longer provide the services it promised, due to recruitment difficulties.

Beaumont Healthcare, based in St Neots, announced last month it's ending its contracts with families on 22 November, saying the situation was now "unsustainable".

Mum Tamsin Olney, whose 19-year-old son Oscar has severe disabilities, says she's in a "blind panic".

The company has only given them 28 days' notice.

Ms Olney: "This care makes a massive difference to our lives. Caring for Oscar, caring for anybody with disabilities, is exhausting, mentally and physically.

"Oscar's assessed as needing two-to-one care. When the care finishes, it will just be me until an alternative provider is sourced."

Oscar was born with the condition hydrocephalus, which caused brain damage.

He is non-verbal and requires daily medication and physio.

Carers who were helping to look after Oscar at his home near Huntingdon said they were as much in the dark about what's happening at the company.

Beaumont Healthcare said region has always had significant difficulty in the recruitment of sufficient care staff.

In a statement they added: "It is with great sadness that we have now to end our contracts as it has become unsustainable within the financial constraints to continue.

"Beaumont Healthcare are working with the Local Authority and various agencies to ensure a safe handover of care to other providers and are continuing to provide care at the present time pending those transfers, and assisting staff to transfer to these agencies and finding alternate employers for them."

Cambridgeshire County Council, which funds and organises the care, said it's disappointed to hear Beaumont is ending the contracts.

It said: "We are currently in discussion with all our clients and their families to provide reassurance that the service they currently receive will continue as seamlessly as possible."

Ms Olney and her husband Paul - and the other families affected by this, now have less than three weeks left - to find out if a new care provider can be found.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...