WORKERS and residents at a home for elderly, deaf and blind people will discover whether the facility has a future this week.

The voluntary organisation Sense announced that Tanglewood Home in Malvern, could close last month, blaming the low level of funding provided by Worcestershire County Council.

Residents' relatives said closing the home in Albert Road South could be disastrous.

Some of the residents have lived there for 20 years.

Managers from Sense were due to meet today to discuss its future.

Gerald Johnn, whose 59-year-old sister Ann has lived at the home for 20 years, said closure would be a huge setback for her.

"If the residents are moved into other homes, they won't get the same attention," he said.

"It will have a devastating effect on my sister."

Tanglewood employee Wendy Jones said she was also concerned about the residents' welfare.

"The residents here are not ordinary people," she said.

"They are very special people with very special needs, which I am sure they can only get here at Tanglewood.

"To move them to different places would have a terrible effect on them."

West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer has written to Sense to express his opposition to closure

Coun Liz Eyre, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for social services, admitted the authority's funding levels for the home may be a contributory factor.

But she said the home was too small to be financially viable.

A spokesman for Sense West said the organisation's managers were meeting today to discuss the home.

"Options are still being explored," he said.

A final decision would be made today.