Respite Care Centre

Update on MS respite care centres

The MS Society is in the process of transferring Brambles Respite Care Centre into the hands of MS Respite and Care Services Ltd, an associated company of St Cloud Care plc.

Following the signing of 'Heads of Terms' at the end of November, extensive work has been undertaken to prepare for the transfer and good progress is being made.

Brambles will re-open once contracts are exchanged, which is anticipated to take place before the end of January. Staff at Brambles will transfer to the employment of the company under the transfer arrangements.

Philip Connell, director of MS Respite and Care Services Ltd, said: "We are pleased with the progress being made towards completion of the transfer of Brambles. All necessary funding is now in place with the MS Society’s solicitors and work on agreeing contracts is progressing well. We are excited to be working with the MS Society towards successfully concluding the transfer."

The transfer is part of an overall programme of work, which has already seen Leuchie House in Scotland and Woodlands respite care centre in York transfer to new providers, and work is ongoing to transfer Helen Ley in Warwickshire. The MS Society took the decision in 2010 to move away from directly providing respite care services at its four centres, to allow it to focus on enabling people all across the UK to access respite and short breaks that are right for them, wherever they live.

For more information on the MS Society's new approach to respite care and short breaks, visit the MS Society website.