Families scared for relatives as four 'poorly' performing care homes in Cornwall set to close

Lydia fears she won't be able to care for her daughters herself if the homes close, as Charlotte Gay reports.

Four underperforming residential homes in Cornwall are set to close with dozens of vulnerable people being plunged into limbo about who is going to care for them.Achieve Together says it will no longer provide support for Highdowns near Camborne, Acorn Park Lodge and Clinton Lodge in Redruth, and Pendean Court in Liskeard from the 25 April.

Cornwall Council says the majority of their services in Cornwall have been identified by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as performing poorly but the care provider says they can no longer afford to run the service on the budgets given by the council.

Lydia Williams is the elderly mother of two sisters who are in long term residential care at Highdowns.

The 71 year old looked after her daughters for more than 40 years but as Lydia got older it was harder to care for Kathy and Chrissie who both have a recessive genetic condition called Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome which means they have physical and intellectual disabilities.

Lydia says she's tried calling other homes but there are not any suitable vacancies for her daughters. She says it always feels like Cornwall is at a financial disadvantage.

"Sometimes I feel like 'Oh, you're in Cornwall - we don't get the money that up country get' but it's still they're still human beings. They're not just pieces of dirt to be shoved from willy to nilly."

"That's why I said there's no way mine are going out of the county. No way so I'll fight tooth and nail if I got to."

Kathy and Chrissie's aunt Michelle Pokinghorne says it is not fair that Lydia is having to consider having her daughters back to live with her.

"She's in their 70s, she shouldn't be in that position where she's now got to have her daughters living at home. Their complex needs; they're very demanding."

"When you put them into the residential home, the hope is that they will stay in that residential home for the rest of their natural lives. And to be told that that's not going to be an option. It's like, well, where does that leave them?"

Lydia has felt so low since finding out the news last week that she says it would be less painful if her daughters passed away before her.

"Where is everybody going to go? I know it sounds hard, but I hope they go before I do. This is the way I feel. I shall go happy knowing nobody can hurt them."

While Kathy has lived at Highdowns for eight years and Chrissie for 10 months, some residents have been living at the facility for more than 30 years.

Both Lydia and Michelle say they do not understand how the company says it can no longer afford to run the service in Cornwall.

In a statement Achieve Together said: “Despite working with our colleagues at Cornwall Council over a number of months we have been unsuccessful in securing the fee levels required to ensure the sustainability of these homes.

"Regrettably, this has led to the decision to hand back the care and support contracts.”

Achieve Together has already closed some of their supported living services in Cornwall.

The past CQC reports for all four homes were at least rated as requiring improvement with Acorn Park Lodge rated as Inadequate and last year was put into special measures.

Cornwall Council are hosting a meeting on 24 January to support relatives of residents finding new homes for their loved ones.

The council told ITV West Country the majority of Achieve Together's services in Cornwall have been identified by the CQC as "performing poorly" and they had been supporting them "to improve their performance and provide value for money".

However the organisation has since made the decision "to prioritise other services across their national portfolio"

"We are working to identify an alternative provider where there is a stronger alignment around our values, and we trust that Achieve Together will be flexible in allowing residents to continue to live in their homes whilst alternative arrangements are being made."

Anyone with concerns about the impending closure of these home are advised to call the council on 0300 1234 100.