Care home provider 'washed its hands of residents'

A care home for young people with complex needs "washed its hands" of residents when it closed on New Year's Eve, a parent claims.

Residents of Bobbins, in Swindon, were informed in December that it would be closing within the month.

Kevin Edmonds said his daughter Karis, 26, who has epilepsy, autism and severe learning difficulties, could not understand why she was losing her home of seven years.

The home's operator, Active Care Group (ACG), said it worked with the local council to find new placements for residents and had offered to delay the closure.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Edmonds, 69, said: "We had very little time and Active Care Group's claim they [helped] to get a new place for the young people living in their care home is absolute tosh.

"They washed their hands of these four adults and if it hadn't been for Swindon Borough Council I don't know where we would have been - they have worked tirelessly to find these four young adults a new placement."

Mr Edmonds said the home closed at 17:00 GMT on New Year's Eve.

He claims "hundreds" of emails to the company from relatives of residents in the home, in Upper Stratton, went unanswered.

Karis is currently back in her family home while she waits for a new care home in the area to be completed.

"But the transition we are facing in the next two to three weeks to get her into the new home is going to be really difficult," added Mr Edmonds.

"She's quite resilient, she does take things in her stride but she can't tell us how she's feeling, so when she's not happy we have to try and second guess her all the time."

A spokesperson for ACG said the Bobbins service was "severely compromised" after two residents were inappropriately placed in the home.

Swindon Borough Council did not rehome them in reasonable time and ACG was unable to admit further residents.

In October 2024, the local authority told the operator it intended to move two of the remaining four residents from the home, leaving four vacant beds and leading to the operator's "reluctant decision" to close Bobbins.

For three months prior to the closure, the operator said it made it clear to the council that without its support the home would have to close.

The company's statement added it worked with the council to "minimise the impact" including discussing an extension period which "was not taken up".

"All residents secured appropriate placements prior to the service's closure," a spokesperson added.

Swindon Borough Council said: "We do not agree with the version of events described by Active Care".

"The most important people in this whole unfortunate episode are the ones who had to be found alternative provision at very short notice," a council spokesperson said.

"Our sole focus was to ensure they were settled and receiving the care they deserve.

"We are pleased that this is now the case and thank their families for working with us to achieve this."

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