07/02/2012 Spotlight

The care home closing down; families are given less than a week

to find new accommodation for loved ones. I have been waking up at 4am,

or worrying what will happen. It has been quite devastating. I

thought she would be there for the rest of her life. Good evening. The

home on Dartmoor has gone into administration causing distress for

residents and their relatives. Also tonight: earning while they're

learning, the region has seen a huge rise in the number of

apprentices. And the very lucky little boy who

survived a fall from an upstairs window. I ran round to the garden,

where I knew he would be if he had fallen. He was on the patio slabs,

crying but moving. A South West care home is closing

leaving families of the elderly and vulnerable residents with just days

to find new places for their relatives. Holcombe House, in

Moretonhampstead on Dartmoor, specialises in care for people with

dementia. Families were given only a week's notice of its closure. The

region has seen a spate of care homes shut in the economic downturn.

Our correspondent Simon Hall reports from Moretonhampstead.

Sheila is 86, suffering from dementia and one of the people

needing to find a new care home. Her daughter is spending much of

her time trying to find a place, so far without success and it is

taking toll. His is a very exciting. I have been waking up at 4am. -- it

is very upsetting. It has been quite devastating. I thought she

would be there for the rest of her life. She was happy, I did not

foresee that anything like this would happen. So, it is terribly

upsetting. The a would not allow us into film but I did speak briefly

to a member of staff who told me that everybody here was very sad

but had no further comment to make. There are 11 residents here, a

specialist care centre, where most have demands year. Only last week

were families told it was closing, leaving them just seven days to

find new homes for relatives. Really short notice, unavoidable

really. Revenue and Customs were owed money, we could not let it

happen. It is not their fault but we could not let it happen. School

was of care homes have closed since the economic downturn began, --

scores of care homes. The umbrella caird Group which suppliers for it

-- care group which suppliers for it. Devon County Council said they

were working with the owners here, residents, the families and the NHS

to find alternative accommodation for the residents which would meet

their individual needs. The House is due to close on Friday.

Well, Martyn Rogers is the director of the charity Age UK in Exeter. I

asked him why more and more care homes are struggling to stay open.

We know the public purse is under a lot of pressure. The local

authorities are really stretched. They are placing fewer people in

care homes, costs are going up for care home owners and four smaller

care homes where they don't have the larger volumes and the

economies are scaling back it is very tough. The be families from

this particular home are very worried about the timescale, and

less than a week to find alternative arrangements. What do

you make of that? It is astonishing, to give just a week for them to

find accommodation is horrendous. It is such a big issue to get this

right for people. To find the right place for them for them to be

comfortable, in proximity to their residents who want to visit. It is

a very big issue and to do it in a week is very tough. The residents,

one in particular, talking about her mother. Talking about older,

vulnerable people. What effect will this have on them? Very often we

don't know, but people will be disorientated. It takes time for

them to settle in and feel safe and secure. The are people of moving to

a new home can -- the upheaval of moving. There is no alternative if

the money runs out, but it is difficult for people to readjust,

if they have memory difficulties and some disorientation. Thank you.

There's been a 40 percent increase in the number of people becoming

apprentices across the South West. Earning whilst learning has

attracted thousands in the hope there'll be a job at the end of it.

But business leaders say more needs to be done to help small firms take

on apprentices. Sarah Ransome reports. The deep end. Concerns for

some over low pay are not putting others off, apprenticeships going

up around 40 per cent in the region. Helping students stand out from the

crowd, Lee McQueen is no stranger to the boardroom or learning on the

job. He knows just how to get hired. It if you can showcase your skills,

an apprenticeship does that, if you can do that for an employer, there

is every chance of getting a job and a better chance at the end than

if you had not done an apprenticeship. Not all of those

two start stick to it, but with millions being pumped in, it is

clear the government is committed and one small companies involved.

More at the sharp end approve of the scheme but say it must be

simplified. There are some teething problems, partly red tape, partly

the cost and partly skills levels. We need to make sure that it is the

only game in town, the governor need to support it. For George, he

is one of the lucky ones. He already knows he is not getting the

chop. South West colleges for students

with disabilities say young people are missing out on the chance of a

more independent life because some councils won't approve placements

out of their home county. Foxes Academy in Somerset says many

youngsters who'd benefit from specialist residential training are

sent to local colleges instead. Here's our Health Correspondent

Sally Mountjoy. This hotel on Minehead seafront with a

traditional Victorian facade for an unconventional establishment. It is

staffed by students with learning disabilities at this training

college. In his everything OK? Lovely. Daniel from north Devon is

19 and autistic, he began a three- year course in September and is

gaining qualifications for work and learning to live independently.

like doing everything, the cleaning and cooking. There's nothing I

don't like here. Have you made lots of friends? Yes, I have made some

friends in my house. Without this he would not have reached his full

potential, the changes in the last few months have been incredible. He

has got a chance to live semi- independently, to semi- support

himself and work much better in society. Daniel was first told he

should go to his local education college, his family lost an appeal

against that decision but Devon County Council later changed its

mind. He is now one of seven students at the Academy. Other up

academies are being crated but councils need to increase the

enrolment. There is concern that many are missing out on the

opportunities offered by specialist colleges. His it is where they

learn to get up and into the workplace, in the evening to sort

themselves out, what they will do. Cooking for themselves. All of

these things can happen in a residential environment, but not

when you go to a local college for a few days a week. I can take the

empty ones. Ali, who has Down's syndrome lives in her own flat. She

credits her time for the -- time here for her independence. Fox's

gave her a really high expectation of being able to live independently,

to make her own decisions and going out to work like everybody else.

Devon, Cornwall and Sussex say they are looking for local provisions,

but several specialist colleges in the south-west have told us that

parents often have to fight to get their disabled youngsters in and

some are never even told this option exists.

It's been another record breaking year for the region's lifeboats.

New figures out today show the service received more call outs

than ever before. Crews in the South West launched more than one

thousand five hundred times, rescuing hundreds of people. As Amy

Cole reports some crews believe the growing number of tourists are

failing to take basic sea safety precautions. 16 people had to be

rescued off the Dorset coast when sailing boat was dismasted in rough

seas last September. Figures out today showed the crew of the

lifeboats aided the most people nationally, bringing 176 safely to

shore. It has been hard work. of the crew are volunteers, I think

we have done over 2000 hours at sea. That is a long time away from

families and work. David is the coxswain of Plymouth lifeboat, he

has been involved for 26 years. A relationship which emerged after he

needed rescuing in 1969. I was away in an angling party, we lost our

anchor and that was that, that is what persuaded me to do it. This is

where the crew sit, with our charts and our radar. 2011 was their

busiest year on record, Dave has a simple theory for it. Because of

the economy more people are on holiday in the UK. If they come

down from in and they don't know anything about tides, that is the

only thing I can put it down to. The last year Plymouth's lifeboats

were the busiest in Devon with 118 launches, in Cornwall they notched

up 102 launchers, beaches with the highest number of incidents were

all in Cornwall with 827 people needing assistance. Day or night

they are always ready to respond to Now, it is the kind of story that

would make every parent's heart stop. Three-year-old Freddie

Downing was playing on Christmas morning when he fell 20 feet out of

a bedroom window straight onto a paving slab. But incredibly, he

survived. His mother told Spotlight's Johnny

Rutherford his lucky escape was down to a quick response by the

Devon Air Ambulance. Vicar December was a memorable

month for Freddie Downing. Not just because of his third birthday or

his presence from Santa. On Christmas Day, he nearly died.

were having a meal with all our family. We were just about to go

out and visit some friends in the village. Our daughter came down

saying that he had fallen out of his bedroom window. I was very

shocked and ran round to the garden where I knew he would be if he had

fallen. He was there on the patio slabs just crying but actually

moving. This is the bedroom where Freddie Downing was playing with

his sisters. He managed to climb up on to the window ledge, opened the

window and fell quite a distance on to his head. He was not really

opening his eyes but he was crying very loudly. He was still moving

and it did not feel like he was rigid. We went inside and waited

for the air ambulance to come. Devon Air Ambulance arrived quickly

from the air base and took Freddie Downing and his mum to hospital.

After finding that fractures in his skull, the other Devon Air

Ambulance was called to fly him to Bristol for special neurological

care. It was crucial to stabilise him and he needed the specialist

treatment. This was the fastest way to get him there and it was very

critical. He was a very lucky little boy. Freddie Downing had two

blood clots on the brain. His life hung in the balance for almost a

week. Even after developing a lung infection, this lucky boy pulled

through. Finally, on New year's Eve, they successfully removed the tube

and he was breathing on his own. He came round and recognised us. He

was not moving a great deal to start with, but he seemed to have

everything back to relative normality. I fell out the window.

You fell out the window? And then what happened. He lived to tell the

tale. It has been confirmed fishermen are

to get European funding to fit life-saving emergency stop buttons

to their vessels after a campaign by the South East Cornwall MP

Sheryll Murray. Her husband Neil died while fishing alone in his

boat off the Cornish coast last year. A toggle on his hood got

caught in netting equipment. It is thought if he had had an emergency

stop button, it would probably have saved him. No one knows more than I

do that our fishermen are due a heroic and very dangerous job. I

hope they will now all fit emergency stop valves to their

vessels as soon as possible. Torbay has become the first borough

in the country to put a monetary value on its trees. A Tree-conomics

Survey, as it is called, has looked at what trees are worth, and what

it should cost to replace them. Trees in Torbay have been rated and

totalled at �280 million. Environmentalists hope valuing

trees in this way will help to protect them.

There is more to trees than just making the place look nice. The

survey looked at how many there are and fair value in terms of the work

they do removing pollutants from the air and the social damage if

they were cut down. You might be wondering, what difference would it

make giving trees a monetary value. In this case, every time they build

a road or a new building, if they chop down trees, then that they we

invest in planting new ones. In the past, that would have been a

discussion, not a contract. Now, they have a natural value. They are

an asset, which makes them valuable. �280 million seems like a large

figure, and it is not encouraging. Some councils have Valleys their

parks at only one pint notation will buy new. To have trees

quantified in this way is really great for securing budgets.

survey found there were more than 800,000 in Torbay - that is 12% of

the baroque. It shows the importance of those trees. It

allows us to understand that. That does not have to be a barrier to

development. We just have to be careful that we replace what we

lose. The survey cost �30,000. 10,000 fund a local taxpayer, and

the rest from the Forestry Commission. Torbay is famous for

its palm trees. The survey found the result that many of them - just

3% - and put in tourism aside, they are not that valuable ecologically.

As we mentioned yesterday, Sport Relief is just over a month away

now and many of you will be getting ready to go the extra mile for the

charity. The South West's flagship event will be held in Plymouth.

Natalie has been to check out the venue with someone who knows a

little bit about fitness. It is a glorious day up here where

are the biggest Sport Relief mile event in the region will be held. I

am with Chris Hargreaves, former professional the dollar. Here we

are again. It is fantastic. It raises money for a good cause.

were a professional sportsman for a very long time. How easy is it to

run one mile? Not too bad, considering you can walk it as well.

I would not recommend running six miles, but most people could cope

with a mile. You can either choose to do one mile, three miles, or six.

His six for the more serious? Buy yourself some new trainers and

take your time for the six miles! But everyone can do one. What you

think of the setting? It could not be better. It is beautiful today.

You have to want to run today. couple of years ago, the weather

was like this on the day. Fingers crossed! While we're on the subject

of charity, Plymouth Argyle, who used to play for, announce some

details about a big event to raise money for the star fund that is

going to be taken place in May. If you are Manchester United supporter,

then listen up! It involves some of the clubs are legends.

They have played more than 800 games and in May, at Alex Stepney

and spark there are Britain will bring some of their vintage team

mates to Home Park for a very special match. They will face an

Argyll legends team to help raise money for staff members who lost

out when the club went into administration last year. When we

got an opportunity to bring Manchester United legend stunned to

Plymouth, we thought it was a great opportunity for Plymouth as a whole

and to celebrate the staff payments quicker than the five-year plan

that is currently in place. He is regarded as one of Argyll's

greatest-ever players, but in more than 300 games for Plymouth, Tommy

Tynan never once lined up against the Red Devils. I have played at

youth level, but there are so many big names coming down to Plymouth

Argyle and it'll be great to play against and. The older guys and the

team - I am one of them! - then there are a few younger guys at

Peter Davenport and Lee Marton and Clayton Blackmore. That is the sort

of bulk of the team that will be coming. So with the big names ready

to help out, all they need now is for fans to lend their support in

May. Before we go, thanks ever so much

for everybody who got in touch to let us know what you will be doing

on March 25th. David E mailed to say there will be a parrot family

fun run here in Plymouth and they're hoping that hundreds of

pirates will take part. You can run with the All Blacks at the rugby

club. Their Sport Relief and farmers will be having gorgeous

coastal views. And there will be miles in King-Smith, I three bridge

and a monkey mile in the loo. No idea what that is! Let us know what

If you want any more information, Ben Sport Relief .com is the

website you need to log on to. Can you run a mile? I am not sure.

Let's go! Good luck! Thank you expire morning!

Why didn't Natalie run after him? She needs to get into training!

It's a common problem for many small businesses in the south west.

When the summer season brings thousands of tourists, business is

good. But in the winter months, it is a struggle to survive.

That is the case for a family-owned bakery in Cornwall. The Chough

Bakery in Padstow needs help to survive. Alex Polizzi, otherwise

known as The Fixer in a new BBC programme, is tasked with trying to

show family businesses the way forward. David George has been

watching the programme and meeting the bakers.

Their Chough Bakery is in a prime position on Padstow harbour. The

family business, which has been here for 30 years, could do better.

More than 80% of their turnover is in the few short summer months. The

boss wants to be less hands on. That is what she says. The famously

Fredy Padstow, as the programme calls it, as more and more

competition. Around the corner, their hour three past the shops in

a row. Step forward television presenter, a hotelier, and bakery

owner Alex. She is going to tell them what is wrong. My immediate

impression they is that it does not make you want to charge in and buy

you a Cornish pasty, despite the location been immaculate. You don't

stand back. That is what this programme has made us do. It has

made us have a look at what we're doing. It turns out the family have

not seen the programme and they do not know how they're going to be

presented. The reason why... You are trying to plan! I don't know if

I would recommend it to anyone. get to see it with everyone else!

Are you going to watch at tonight? I will sit at home with a very

large drink and sustain myself! I will keep my fingers crossed that

it will come out all right. should use both hands. You can see

the shop did end up with a facelift. The family say it is too soon to

tell if the makeover has put people in the queue.

And you can watch with the family And now the weather.

It will be called tonight. Probably not quite as cold as last week, but

not far off. A widespread severe frost is coming in from the East

through the night. We wake up to quite a frosty start and some very

low temperatures. On the face of it, there seems to be a lot of cloud to

the west of Britain. Don't worry too much about that. That is not

where our air is coming from. It is coming from the East and that is

the easterly winds wrinkle their from the Low countries like

southern Scandinavia. It will travel right the way across us. By

the time we get to lunchtime tomorrow, a big drop in the

temperatures. That does not change very much by Thursday. Those

weather fronts to the west of us will come in through the day on

Friday. There is that satellite picture. There has been quite a lot

of high level cloud and the far west. Here are the weather

conditions on St Mary's from earlier today. Our cameraman was

out enjoying what is a splendid view of the blooms in the flour.

The Isles of Scilly always look brilliant when the weather is nice.

It will be colder here tomorrow as the easterly winds bring that to

call their across the island. There is patchy cloud around at the

moment. It will break up through the night and as that happens, we

start to bring in that colder air. It will come in from the East. Some

of the lowest temperatures will be across the East, possibly as low as

seven below freezing tonight. Widespread frost to greet us in the

morning and a cold day throughout the day tomorrow, with the best of

the sunshine across Cornwall. Further East, there is more in the

way of cloud. That overruns the low temperatures. They better equal day

for Somerset and Dorset. The mildest there will be in West

Cornwall, with the Six degrees. For the Isles of Scilly, we should see

some more sunshine. Fine and dry. He recalled feel with a south-

easterly winds. Just six degrees, the top temperature. Times of high

water. For our surfer's, there is some usable, decent surf. Some good