Care House (2003)

Care House follows six months in the life of The Cusick’s care home in York.

The kind of people who live here are overlooked or feared by society. They’re the people who get called ‘nutters’ or ‘mental’. But no one here is mad. They have learning difficulties, and what is known as challenging behaviour. The kind of behaviour that in the past has got the residents in trouble with the law.

John and Rose Cusick run the care home. This film explores their unique and often controversial approach to care and their special relationship with the residents.

We witness 29-year-old resident David getting in and out of various scrapes. These range from being caught drilling peepholes in his bedroom walls to stealing a bobble hat from a charity shop.

We follow Peter and his longing for independence. He wants to live on his own with his girlfriend. There is tragedy in this desire when you realise this will never happen.

Graham, another resident, is left devastated as he contemplates his vicious attack on a female member of staff. We also meet Wendy and her son Ben who are attempting to cope with life outside the care home and Jonathan, who is dealing with the death of his father.

This immensely moving film is about a group of people who don’t fit into society. Beneath their stories is a profound question about society’s treatment of people with behavioural problems.