Families feel 'let down' and 'left behind' by Surrey County Council's care home closure

Families feel “let down” and “extremely disappointed” by Surrey County Council’s (SCC) handling of an Egham care home closure.

Established in 1988 by the Royal Mencap Society, Jutland Place is a care home for adults with learning disabilities. Families were informed in January 2024 that Mencap was closing the service in June as it had cost more to run than it had received in funding from SCC for the past three years.

But one family says they are being “left behind” by SCC and accuse them as “patting themselves on the back” at what good job they’re doing. Elaine’s brother Paul has been a resident at Jutland Place for 37 years. Now in his late 50s, he will have to leave his home and friends of over three decades.

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The local authority said in a Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care Decisions meeting, it has been unable to find another provider to take over adult social care at Jutland Place, meaning the six residents have until July 31 to find a new home. Four out of the six residents have found alternative accommodation, however it is reportedly outside of Runnymede borough. Families are now concerned they will take their loved ones further away from the activities for adult social care. Elaine said: “How much more can you do to vulnerable people?”

A SCC spokesperson said it is "working with these individuals, their families and the respective care providers to plan a smooth transition". They added they are continuing to "work with the remaining residents to finalise new accommodation options for them".

Finding a new home

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Elaine said families were shown properties before an Occupational Therapist had checked they were suitable for those with learning disabilities. We are “being forced into choosing something which could be detrimental,” she said.

She added some of the properties the families were shown around did not have a rail for the stairs or had tiny bathrooms which were inappropriate for a person with caring needs. She described it as “wasting time” and feeling like she was doing the council’s job for them.

Families of residents have been campaigning to Save Jutland Place, with a petition reaching nearly 1,800 signatures online. However, modernising the facilities into a supported living setting was rejected by council officers because it would require a “great deal of time”, investment and building surveyor time to complete.

Both SCC and Mencap noted Jutland Place has issues with a small communal area and no ensuite bathrooms for supported living. But Elaine said some of the properties shown to the families were the same if not worse.

She believes most of the officers, councillors and Mencap staff who have criticised Jutland have “not stepped foot in it and seen how residents love it”. Officers invited residents to visit a property on Talbot Road as a potential home, yet she said families found it did not have the proper planning permission to be a care home yet. Officers told the cabinet meeting that this permission was denied.

A SCC spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear these concerns and we will continue to work with Jutland Place residents, their families and independent advocates to find new homes which meet their needs, following Mencap’s decision to withdraw from the service.

“Our focus is on working to find the most suitable new homes which will offer a positive future for all, with residents supported to maintain their friendships and the activities they enjoy, and we have been looking at a number of possible options."

Future of adult social care in Surrey

Officers at the SCC meeting on June 25 spoke about the new adult social care facilities being built. However, the new short-stay facility in Woking is built for carers needing a break and not the vulnerable needing care.

Three sites, with approved planning permission, have also been confirmed for supported living accommodation with building works due to start in the next two to three months.

Elaine told the LDRS her mum had said to her, “I don’t care about what's happening in the future, I care about what’s happening to my son now.” Elaine added: “Me and mum have lost confidence in everything.”

"No real responsibility"

At a SCC cabinet meeting, Councillor Sam Jenkins (Independent/Egham Town) said: “Surrey has not only failed to prevent residents from losing their home of over 30 years, it now seems Surrey is trying to distance itself from its own decisions.”

Cllr Jenkins claimed SCC “actively chose” not to commission a new provider, citing 10 offers coming forward including some with "fully costed" plans. Speaking afterwards, Cllr Jenkins said it was “very disappointing” that Cabinet Member Cllr Sinead Mooney (Conservative/Staines) offered no apology to the families and there was “no real responsibility” taken by the county council.

Officers said SCC had been discussing the future of Jutland Place for two years with Mencap and Runnymede Borough Council with the aim of finding a way to continue the service. A SCC spokesperson said: "Despite concerted efforts, a sustainable way forward wasn’t found. There are challenges with the building at Jutland Place which means the service has been struggling to fill vacancies and attract alternative care providers."

"Paying the difference is not sustainable long term"

Jackie O'Sullivan, executive director of strategy and influence at Mencap, said the charity has been “paying the difference for several years” at Jutland and it is “not sustainable” long term. It reportedly cost £200,000 to run Jutland this financial year alone and that figure is set to rise next year. "The service at Jutland Place costs more to run than Mencap receives in funding," Ms O'Sullivan said, "partly due to vacancies in the property which have been challenging to fill."

Holding eight rooms, one of them had been vacant for four years with another one free since May 2024. No financial notification for business failure was made as it was one of Mencap’s services at risk in this instance, not all of its service locations.

Ms O’Sullivan added: "We know that these changes will be felt deeply by the people we support and their families. It is not something we have done lightly and we feel very sorry that an alternative solution could not be found to allow us to continue to provide their care.”

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