Quick thinking care staff evacuate care home in terror drama

A Cheltenham care home had to be evacuated by quick thinking care workers after a drama involving the bomb squad, the police and the deployment of a robot detecting machine.

On Friday 18 May, explosives were discovered in Up Hatherley and the care home was at the heart of the drama as officers set up a cordon in the vicinity.

Brandon Trust locality manager, Abby Rees looked out of the window of the Windermere Road Nursing Home to see the scene. She said: “We were right in the middle of the drama but then we had to go to our own ‘action stations’ when it was realised we would have to evacuate our ten residents, who are all in wheel chairs, plus the six people who have learning disabilities and live in the flats next door.”

“The situation was made even more complicated when we learned we would have to stay away overnight because our nursing home residents all have multiple and profound disabilities requiring specialist facilities not found anywhere.”

Abby explained how the first challenge they faced was when the afternoon staff found their way to work blocked by police cordons and managed to reach base by a roundabout route.

She said: “We decided the best plan was to evacuate everyone from the home to our Cranham Lodge residence in Gloucester and that took a number of minibus journeys which had to include all their medication and other essential facilities.

“But that was just the first stage, because the lodge was not suitable for an overnight stay so we eventually found accommodation in Tewkesbury and then had to phone around to find eleven specialist beds.”

“Luckily most of those who live more independent lives in the Windermere flats were able to go and stay with family or friends but all the same, I guess it was the most hectic period of intense activity that any of us had experienced.

“I simply can’t speak too highly of the efforts made by all concerned. “We are also grateful that Aspects 2, another organisation which supports those with learning disabilities, offered the use of their premises in Tewkesbury.”

Brandon Trust’s head of communications, Stefania Rulli-Gibbs explained that under their standing emergency procedure, residents from the nursing home would have been initially moved to the communal areas of the flats and vice versa had there been a problem at one of the properties but on this occasion they had to leave the area altogether.

She said: “Our team members showed great resourcefulness and we are extremely proud of what they managed to achieve in such a short time.”

Abbey Rees and her team from Windermere Road Nursing Home will be the subject of an award nomination at the Brandon Trust’s annual awards later in the year, for their quick thinking actions that ensured the safety of their residents.

A man will appear at Gloucester Crown Court on June 8 on explosives making charges.

Photo: Left to right: Yvonne Stockford (qualified nurse), Abby Rees (locality manager). In front of Abby in chair is Adrian Oakley, Elaine Anderson (parent who was visiting her son Kevin Anderson, in blue chair, on that Friday), Julie Atkinson (deputy manager), Lisa Popham (support worker)