Bath and North East Somerset Council is facing urgent calls to keep Newton House, the area’s sole respite care home for young people with severe care needs, open until October 2026. This appeal comes as the current plan sets the home’s closure at the end of January 2026, causing concern among families who rely on its vital services.
Newton House, located on the outskirts of Bath, provides essential short-term care for individuals with significant health challenges, allowing their full-time carers to take much-needed breaks. In November 2024, the council and the care provider Dimensions announced the home’s impending closure, citing financial unsustainability. Following backlash from parents, the closure date was postponed to January 2026.
A council working group, which includes four representatives of affected families, has developed three potential options to present to the council’s scrutiny panel on children, adults, health, and wellbeing on June 17. These options include continuing the current service by Dimensions beyond January 2026, the council directly operating a respite service from a council-owned building, or initiating an open tender process to outsource the service to an external provider.
READ MORE: Glastonbury Star RAYE Pays Tribute to Amy Winehouse: “I Would Never Attempt to Replace or Imitate Her”
READ MORE: UK’s ‘Loveliest’ Walking Trail: The South West Coast Path Spans 630 Miles of Stunning Seaside Towns
The working group’s emerging preferred option is to have Dimensions continue operations at Newton House until October 2026, aligning with the contract expiration, while the council seeks a new provider through tender. This plan aims to minimize disruption for the families and vulnerable individuals who rely on the home.
Dimensions has agreed on costings for the 2025/26 financial year, and contractual arrangements are being finalized to support this extended service period. Despite this, council officials, including Suzanne Westhead, director of adult social care, have expressed a preference toward an external tendering process. Families, however, have voiced hopes that the council itself might take over the service should Dimensions no longer be the provider.
Families emphasize the importance of stability in respite care. Wendy Lucas, whose daughter has attended Newton House for a decade, cautioned against abrupt changes: “They are not the kind of children who you can pick up one week and deposit somewhere else the next. It takes months for families, children, and providers to develop trust and confidence in the care provided.”
The individuals served by Newton House are among the most vulnerable in the community, with complex needs and often unable to communicate their own needs. The respite care they receive is not only a vital service for them but also a lifeline for their families, offering moments of rest and normalcy.
The council has a statutory duty to meet care needs, including respite, and remains the sole commissioner of the services provided at Newton House. The initial decision to close the home was met with significant community opposition after families received short notice in November 2024. A petition spearheaded by Richard Franklin, whose son benefits from Newton House, gained nearly 3,000 signatures, prompting renewed scrutiny over the closure decision.
This advocacy has forced council leaders to consider alternative approaches carefully and to prioritize continuity of care. The upcoming scrutiny panel meeting is critical in determining the future of this vital service and the well-being of some of the region’s most vulnerable residents.