Outrage as elderly residents in Broomfields told to move across town

Broomfields, an independent living complex on Bridge Lane, is currently home to 15 residents over the age of 55.

At a meeting on Friday, residents were told by housing giant Torus that if residents want to continue to receive care beyond 2020, they will have to move to a purpose built centre in Padgate.

Residents were given a sheet of paper with four options available – to move to Harpers Road in January 2020, to move from Broomfields to another extra-care facility, to move to sheltered accommodation or a general needs home or to remain at Broomfields.

If residents opt to stay at Broomfields, rent and service charges will change and it will no longer include care.

From 2020 the facility will also be marketed to anyone with general needs, not over 55s.

Winifred O’Brien has lived there for 16 years, her daughter Janice visits at least three times a week from Grappenhall and is appalled at the lack of transparency from housing company Torus.

She said: “My mum sold her council house so a family could move in as she thought it would be secure living at Broomfields.

“They told her ‘you’re here for life Winifred’.”

The residents currently have access to shops, church and the bus route and say they will be isolated at the new Harpers Road accommodation in Padgate.

Brian Fiddler, 68, said: “I sold my house last year and in November I was told I would be here for life.

Brian Fiddler

“Just six months later I’ve been told that I will have to move if I want the set-up we have here.”

Brochures handed out to residents last week, with information and advice were printed in August, despite Brian being promised the security for the rest of his life.

Liberal Democrat councillor Sharon Harris said: “Many of the residents have lived around this area, even on this road, for most of their lives.

“They moved into Broomfields as it offered independent living in an area they are familiar with.”

She also expressed concern about numerous discrepancies and inappropriate clauses in the brochure.

These include making elderly residents cancel and transfer their own broadband, electricity and water suppliers to a new home.

Torus has deemed Broomfields as ‘unfit for purpose’. But residents and councillors say it only needs basic adjustments and believe it has been deliberately run down to assist the proposed closure.

Graham Parr, 66, said: “The garden has not been maintained for months and in all my time living here I’ve not seen the drains unblocked once.

Graham Parr

“If they just spent a bit of money doing the small maintenance jobs it would improve the place.”

Councillors Judith Wheeler, Sharon Harris and Brian Axcell representing Appleton, Hatton, Stretton and Higher Walton released a joint statement.

It said: “We were invited to attend a briefing on the developments in Older People's Extracare in Appleton and Poulton North and we were absolutely shocked to be told that 'aspirational' accommodation is being developed at Harpers Green in Poulton at the expense of the elderly residents at the Broomfields accommodation in South Warrington.

“While we are pleased that the care needs of residents are being addressed in an 'aspirational' and safe manner, we are extremely concerned that Broomfields ExtraCare is being run down with the intention of emptying it of residents and then mothballing the flats.

“It is unacceptable that 15 elderly residents and vulnerable adults, many of whom have lived in Broomfields for many years are being 'encouraged' to move across Warrington to an area they do not know and away from the community where they live and participate in to an area they do not know and where they have no friends or extended community support.

“Neither Torus nor council officers seem to have given the slightest thought to the possibility that extra care facilities might be needed somewhere in south Warrington. We are thoroughly fed up with being labelled 'affluent Appleton'.

"We have elderly, vulnerable, disabled and less wealthy residents too, who need the same level of care as those in other areas of Warrington receive.

“The scenario that residents who choose not to move will be living in a building which has no investment planned and minimal input in the day-to-day running is horrifying. The most disturbing aspect is that the lift which will cost £60,000 to repair will not happen.

“We have never received complaints about the Broomfields accommodation or the support they receive there.”

A spokesperson for Torus said: “We have been examining the types of services older people and those with additional needs may require both now and, in the future, and are in the process of constructing a purpose-built extra care scheme with state-of-the-art facilities in Padgate. The new scheme is expected to be complete in 2020.

“Broomfields, which was built in the 1960s does not deliver the standards expected of a modern extra care facility, particularly for those with high care needs or restricted mobility. The proposal is that the delivery of on-site care commissioned at Broomfields by Warrington Bough Council will be transferred to the Padgate facility.

“We are now involved in an open and transparent consultation process with residents to outline a range of different options for the future of Broomfields.

“We want the residents to be actively involved in this process and have asked for their feedback and comments.

“We genuinely want residents to have their say and are arranging one-to-one visits where residents and their families can ask questions and talk to us in more detail.

“The consultation will last for 30 days, after which time we will review all feedback and consider the next steps for the future of the building.”

Steve Peddie, executive director for families and wellbeing at Warrington Borough Council, said: “The council looks forward to ensuring 24-hour care is delivered in a top-class, purpose-built  facility once the new building is opened.

 “We understand that a process has to be undertaken to seek the views of those people who, nevertheless, might prefer to remain at Broomfields.

 “It has to be recognised that 24-hour care has never been offered on the Broomfields campus and for any resident of the borough, once their health and care needs have reached a stage where 24-hour care is needed, there will always be a consideration by families of moving to a place that can provide appropriate care – be that a nursing home, a residential care home or an Extra Care facility.

 “Residents should rest assured that anybody who has been assessed to have care and support needs will receive that support wherever they reside, including anybody who remains at Broomfields.”