Residential homes providing specialist care to thousands of vulnerable adults with learning disabilities and severe autism have warned they are having to “evict” residents to avoid insolvency because of tax and wage rises and local authority funding cuts.
The annual Sector Pulse Check survey of more than 200 social care providers, both private and charitable, says many are on the brink as they struggle to remain viable in the face of cash-strapped councils’ refusal or inability to meet the rising cost of services.
Care providers say they are having to ‘hand back contracts’ to councils - meaning they can no longer afford to care for some individuals. This can mean vulnerable residents having to leave the home where they have often lived for years. Care providers have also warned they may refuse new residents or cut the quality of care they can offer.
Have you or anyone in your family had experience of being either ‘evicted’ (or threatened with it) as a result of a care home being unable to cover the costs of unfunded (or under-funded) council contracts? If so we’d like to hear from you.
What was the impact of the changes on residents or their families? How was the the eviction handled? What happened if the contract was handed back and the resident moved to a different home? Did the quality of care change ? Was the home nearby or far away?
