Parents of the most vulnerable people in Bath and North East Somerset have warned “our lives won’t function” without a vital care service that is set to be shut down.
The Newton House respite care service offers short stays for people with severe care needs, allowing their full-time carers to have a short break. The five bed building in Bath is the only respite care facility for adults with complex high care needs in Bath and North East Somerset — but now care provider Dimensions which runs the service has said it is “unviable” and plans to shut it down and turn the building into a residential care home.
Three parents with adult children with high care needs have urged Bath and North East Somerset Council to save the “godsend” service. Addressing the council’s scrutiny panel on adult services on Monday January 13, Derek Greenman said: “We feel absolutely devastated by this decision. It’s almost like you don’t have a future. That’s how you feel. You feel completely lost.”
His stepson, Michael, is 30 and has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and no voice. Mr Greenman said: “The social care teams have always said he is very complex. Yet bit by bit we have lost all the support we have had in the past. […] The bombshell regarding Newton House left us completely stunned over Christmas.”
The closure was announced for the end of January but is now “paused” until alternate arrangements have been found for people who use the service. Dimensions is a registered housing association, and is not run by Bath and North East Somerset Council. But the council is under a statutory duty to assess and provide for people’s care needs, including providing respite care where required. It is the sole customer at Newton House.
Wendy Lucas’ daughter Rhiannon, who uses the respite care service at Newton House
(Image: Wendy Lucas)
For the 22 families who rely on the service, a stay at Newton House can be the only time they can get cleaning and washing done. Wendy Lucas’s daughter, Rhiannon, is 28 and spends two nights a week at Newton House. Ms Lucas told the panel: “We actually need respite care so we can sleep. We only sleep fully two nights a week.”
She said: “I have spoken to many of the families that currently use Newton House over the last two weeks and the consensus is becoming clear. If we lose this short term respite facility, many families will not be able to continue to look after their loved ones at home any longer.”
Respite care at Newton House is part of Rhiannon’s care package which also includes other support such as a day centre in Bath. Ms Lucas said: “Removal of Newton House collapses the entire plan, and with it our lives, ability to function, and my ability to work and provide for my family.”
She found out about the plans to close Newton House when she saw it discussed on Facebook. Dimensions and Bath and North East Somerset Council had written joint letters to all parents to say the respite service would end at the end of January, but Ms Lucas said her letter didn’t arrive. She said: “If Richard [Franklin] had not made everyone aware, Newton House would have closed without a murmur.”
Richard Franklin (left) with David Biddleston (right) outside Bath Guildhall
(Image: John Wimperis)
Mr Franklin’s stepson Ryan, 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.” In December, after learning of the plans to close Newton House, he raised the issue on social media and launched a petition to save the facility which has now been signed by more than 2,400 people.
A few days later, Bath and North East Somerset Council wrote again to the families of people who use Newton House to apologise for the distress caused and say that the closure had been “paused.” The council cabinet member for adult services, Alison Born (Liberal Democrat, Widcombe and Lyncombe), had only found out about the plans to close Newton House after families were told it would be closing.
The commissioning team at Bath and North East Somerset Council had been told by Dimensions back in January 2024 — but the message was not passed on to Ms Born or to Suzanne Westhead, the director of adult social services. Ms Westhead said that council policies had now been changed so that this would not happen again.
A council report which went before the committee meeting on January 13 said that telling parents the home would be closing had been an “error” as alternate provision had not been found for everyone using Newton House. Parents have warned that moving people to out-of-county respite care would mean long journeys making care packages impossible and put their children at risk of having care cancelled if it is needed by people from the area. They are questioning why the respite service needs to close at all.
Ryan Probert who is 28 and has an unbalanced translocation of chromosomes which means he is small, is non-verbal, and needs medication and a very high level of care
(Image: Julie Franklin)
Dimensions has said Newton House does not cover its costs as it is only running at 60% capacity — but Ms Lucas said that families looking for respite care were being turned away from Newton House because of a lack of space. She told councillors: “I can fill this chamber with families who are desperate, who are on their knees, who are desperately asking for additional overnight respite. And they are being consistently told that it does not exist.”
She told councillors: “B&NES is a Liberal Democrat council in an area of Liberal Democrat MPs. Throughout the general election, Ed Davey shouted from the rooftops and the top of waterslides that his party was committed to ensuring that carers received a fair deal and the support they need. […] What will it take for politicians of all parties to just give us what we need? What we need is Newton House, good local care that we can walk into at any time of day or night to ensure that our special needs people are safe, well, and happy.”
Rhiannon has attended Newton House for 10 years. Ms Lucas said: “Over that time we have built up trust with Newton House and worked with them to ensure that Rhiannon is safe and happy and well cared for. This is absolutely the most important thing for us.
“Twice in our lives we have had the devastating early morning visit from a police officer who has informed us that our precious girl has been physically abused by individuals who were contracted and paid for by this council to provide her with care. One was a teacher […] and the second time was a personal assistant provided by adult social care.”
Going back to having a personal assistant was one idea suggested to Ms Lucas by the council to compensate for Newton House closing, but she said it would not replace respite care. Speaking when the Local Democracy Reporting Service first reported this story in December, Mr Franklin also cited the trust he had in Newton House. He said: “We have built up a relationship and there’s a lot of trust going both ways […] You have got to have trust in these people to do the right things, because Ryan hasn’t got a voice. He’s non-verbal, though he’s a very happy chappy.”
Mr Franklin is the window cleaner of local councilor David Biddleston (Keynsham South, Labour), who helped him raise the issue with the council. Mr Biddleston said: “Closing respite care in this way is traumatic for these families and council will be measured by the way that it looks after its most vulnerable residents. We will continue to press for good, comprehensive respite care that meets local needs because — as the parents have said — not to do so will mean they must consider full time residential care. They simply cannot cope without a little time of their own to manage their lives.
“Even from a dispassionate perspective, respite can be affordable compared to the alternatives. Ed Davey was here in Bath discussing how important care was and our Lib Dem administration have the opportunity to show that ‘care’ is genuinely their priority.”
Ms Lucas told councillors: “Without Newton House, our lives won’t function. We won’t be able to do what we do. All of us need concrete proposals about what will happen next. Not platitudes, not vague promises, and not devastating uncertainty.”
‘Shocked and horrified’
Committee member Lesley Mansell (Radstock, Labour) said: “I am absolutely shocked and horrified at the information that we have been given today from the members of the public.”
She warned that the council could be in breach of equalities legislation by announcing the closure without having completed equalities impact assessments. Ms Westhead said that the assessments would be carried out and this was the reason the closure had been paused.
Joanna Wright (Lambridge, Lambridge), who also sits on the committee, called for the council to carry out a full review into what respite care was available and what people’s care needs were. She said: “We are talking about the most vulnerable people in our community, who have no voice, no expression, who rely on their family staying alive to take care of them.”
She added: “We have a whole group of people we know nothing about and their families don’t have any support for. So this is really important that we have a promise from the cabinet member that a proper review of this situation will take place from today.”
Ms Born said: “That work is happening. I can give that assurance.”
Dave Harding (Chew Valley, Liberal Democrat) called for Dimensions to be brought before the committee to answer its questions.
Join Somerset Live’s WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone
Somerset Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Somerset Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community.