Charity Watchdog Takes Control of Learning Disability Care Home

Published: 19 March 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The Charity Commission has taken control of William Blake House, a Northamptonshire care home for adults with learning disabilities, amid serious financial concerns.

Families of residents raised alarms over mismanagement, including £1 million in payments to a trustee and £1.6 million in unpaid taxes. The home faces potential insolvency in three weeks if the issues are not addressed.

An interim manager has been appointed to run the home, temporarily replacing the existing board of trustees. The move ensures continuity of care and safeguards the charity’s finances, assets, and services.

Ed Davey accused a trustee of embezzlement and convened meetings with HMRC to explore delaying a winding-up order. Families hope to transition management to a non-profit organisation to preserve the home for its twenty-two residents.

William Blake House is a specialist facility for adults with profound and complex learning disabilities. Most residents are non-verbal and require round-the-clock care, making stability and continuity critical.

Cross-party support has grown for family-led proposals, with nine MPs urging the commission to consider a sustainable transition plan that secures long-term viability.

Trustees Bushra Hamid and Paula Allen will remain during the transition. Hamid said the commission’s intervention would help progress matters in the best interests of the organisation and its residents.

The charity cited high agency staffing costs and below-inflation council and NHS funding as contributors to financial difficulties. Annual funding amounts to roughly £3 million. Families are determined to maintain the home’s therapeutic approach, inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s teachings.