Parents proud to have 'spoken up' over care concerns

The parents of a man with complex needs said their fight to secure his care following a financial inquiry into his residential home showed the importance of "speaking up".

Lou and Roger's 31-year-old son Jimmy faced uncertainty over his living arrangements at William Blake House after the Charity Commission launched an investigation into the facility amid concerns about "financial mismanagement".

In May, Camphill Milton Keynes Communities, a charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, agreed to take over the Northamptonshire-based service.

Lou said there had been "such highs and lows" as she and other families fought for the continuation of the service.

"The kind of home that Jimmy is in are few and far between - certainly the good ones," she told BBC Radio Northampton.

"I think that's probably what we've learned. That all the parents [involved] are determined, absolutely determined strong parents, because they've fought so hard to not put up with second best.

"We all just want our best [for our children] and we're not talking about spoiling [them] or having treats. We just want the best lives for them," she added.

The Charity Commission first raised concerns about William Blake House's finances and management in November 2025.

It launched a statutory inquiry in February after identifying serious concerns about possible financial mismanagement.

The charity owed more than £1.5m to HM Revenue and Customs, and the regulator began examining its financial controls, governance and the management of potential conflicts of interest.

Sarah Bool, the Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey were among those to support the parents' campaign for support, which led to the Charity Commission's inquiry.

In March, the Charity Commission appointed an interim manager to take control of the charity's administration and assess whether it could continue providing its services.

The charity subsequently went into administration, adding to families' concerns about what would happen to residents and staff.

In May, Camphill Milton Keynes Communities agreed to take over William Blake House's care services.

Tim Davies, its chief executive told BBC Radio Northampton: "We've been around a long time, we're well engaged with the community and we're here for the same sort of people that William Blake House were accommodating.

"We felt that we needed to intervene and do something to help."

May's announcement of the transfer of services came as the Charity Commission also opened investigations into two other Northamptonshire-based charities that shared trustees with William Blake House.

William Blake House has been contacted for comment.

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