Latest news with #ManxMencap
BBC News
23-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Concerns as Douglas care home repairs take over six weeks
Concerns have been raised about the state of a residential home's living room after it has been left cordoned off for repairs for more than six work on front room windows is being carried out at Thie Milan residential home in Douglas, which is maintained by the Department of Infrastructure. Frances Tinkler, who's 29-year-old daughter Elizabeth is among the residents, said they "shouldn't have to get used to part of their living room being cordoned off like an accident site".A DOI spokesman said the repairs had "taken longer than anticipated due to the building being located in a conservation area". Ms Tinkler's daughter has Down's Syndrome and autism and has lived in the home for five years. "She is incredibly independent and able in so many ways, but needs quite a bit of support in other ways," she said. She said the living room was like a "building site" and it sent a message that the residents were "less worthy, or it is less important than it would be in a private home". She continued: "Parents in a home would have that work remediated fairly quickly, but this just seems to be put on the back burner, you shouldn't have to jump through a million hoops for something to be repaired."Her concerns came following the publication of an independent review which found some residential homes had been "poorly maintained" and there were cases in which "inappropriate workarounds" had become the norm. Ms Tinkler is also a director of local learning disability charity Manx home, which is owned by the Department for Health and Social Care, is run by Manx Care and has one member of staff responsible for the residents at a time, who Ms Tinkler said had been chasing up the situation with the said the cordon had meant her daughter had been going up to her room earlier as the residents were "squashed" in their communal area. "These are people who like structure, who like things in the right place, who are organised, so chaos does not go down well," she said."If it is dangerous, then residents should not be in that room, a bit of cordon is not going to stop them from going in that area."The DOI spokesman said the department had been working with an engineer at Thie team had been liaising with the building conservation officer to ensure the proposed works were "sympathetic to the character of the area", he expect to install new windows by the end of the week while masonry repairs would be completed by mid-August, the spokesman added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
30-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Manx Mencap activity programme to 'enable new experiences'
An activity programme for adults with learning difficulties will enable those taking part to socialise and explore new experiences, the group being the scheme has Mencap has been given a £31,000 grant to fund weekly sessions such as arts and crafts workshops, movie nights, visits to the theatre, and adventure Tinkler from the organisation said the activities were often the "only source of companionship" for those with learning activities were "crucial" in helping members "build confidence, improve physical health, and create lasting friendships", she said. The organisation supports about people and the continued activity programme would have a "significant impact on their lives", she funds would "ensure we can continue providing a safe and supportive space", which would also help members with skill development and community engagement, she added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
14-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Isle of Man learning disability services 'in need of overhaul'
A campaigner has said residential care for adults with learning disabilities needs an "overhaul" after a review that identified failings in the current Tinkler of Manx Mencap said a recent review highlighting a number of issues in the services "completely validates" concerns raised by the charity and family members over several by Manx Care, the independent report found that restrictive practices had been normalised and accommodation placements were mismatched. Manx Care said it would now produce an implementation plan to tackle the "significant areas for improvement" identified in the report. Ms Tinkler said the review had not come as "any surprise to parents really" as it "highlights all the things we have been saying for years".She said the service had gone into "crisis" prior to the review due to cuts in staffing, leaving existing employees "disenfranchised" with morale that was "very low".She said remaining staff had come under "a lot of pressure", and training would be the "backbone of how we move forward".There was a need for a dedicated psychologist, occupational therapist and a speech therapy service for adults with learning disabilities, she continued. 'Real opportunity' The review identified that restrictive practices were used in some cases, such as lack of access to the kitchen because a residents risked hurting themselves by drinking from the Tinkler said staff should find out "why those behaviours were happening" and put the kettle away instead, as locking the kitchen meant residents could not even get a cold drink without going to staff which was "not conducive to independent living".She also said there were people who wanted to move into residential care homes but Manx Care "just don't have room for them", and some of the accommodation provided was in old townhouses, which were "not fit for purpose"."We have people in incorrect placements which hinders everybody," she she said the review and recommendations represented a "real opportunity" to create services that were "really inclusive and have a high quality".She said: "I think the way forward is to overhaul the service, to look at what we are doing and how we are doing it.""We owe it to people who use residential care."In response to the review, Manx Care chief executive Teresa Cope said it was clear that there was "learning for the whole system on the island"."Service managers have already begun work to introduce new ways of working and address some of the findings in the report," she was also underway "to find a wider range of housing and accommodation options" and a broader commissioning plan was being developed, she added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
