Daniel Zeichner MP met staff locked out of the Hawthorns Children’s Home.

Residents and staff at the Hawthorns, run by Cambridgeshire County Council have been left shocked after they were moved out of the building in July having been told building work needed to take place.

Shortly afterwards the building was locked up and staff asked to hand in their keys and “wait at home” before being told last week of the start of a 30 day formal consultation to close the unit.

Daniel Zeichner MP said: “This is no way to treat residents and staff. I am very concerned this consultation is a sham. Cambridgeshire County Council need to come clean about their plans and put the needs of vulnerable children first.”

Julia Drummond from UNISON said: “We are concerned that the decision to close the unit has already been taken, with residents moved out six weeks ago. Hawthorns has been providing care and accommodation for children with emotional difficulties for decades and is the last local authority unit of its kind in Cambridge.”

A residential worker at the Hawthorns said: “We feel like we have been put out with the rubbish collection. All our skills and experience working with these vulnerable young people are going to waste. Most of us have had nothing to do for six weeks. We want fairness and honesty, and for the unit to be available for the young people of Cambridge who desperately need us.”