Staff and users of a ‘lifesaving’ Spalding respite service for adults with specialist needs have expressed shock and worry after being told it is to close.
Lincolnshire County Council wants to close Cedar House on Pinchbeck Road as well as a similar site in North Hykeham so it can save £343,324 a year.
It says attendees will instead be able to book rooms in private ‘care homes’.
But those who use the service for people with autism, learning difficulties or physical difficulties, say staff at these homes would likely not have the sufficient training to look after service users, if they can find a place at all.
Cedar House and Swallow Lodge in North Hykeham are run on behalf of the county council by the Making Spaces charity.
One staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were only told they face losing their jobs days previously and they themselves had to ring the families of service users to tell them of the closure in their own time.
“It’s been really emotional,” they said, stressing they were speaking for themselves and those they care for rather than the charity. “I’ve had parents crying down the phone as they don’t know what they’re going to do with their children.
“With that it makes them anxious for their own health.
“The staff at the centres know about all our service users and their, often quite complex, needs. We know how to make them comfortable, involved and how to safely give them any medication.
“If they’re going to put them in care homes as suggested, they will be in places that don’t have the correct facilities with staff who won’t be trained appropriately.
“It wouldn’t be fair on those staff and because of the complex needs users can’t always control, it could be a danger for others in those homes.”
In a release that did not mention closing any services, the county council claimed it was ‘to expand’ the service describing it as a ‘fresh approach’ that would offer families greater choice, flexibility and care nearer to home’.
A meeting of its Adult Care Scrutiny Panel last week was told Cedar House and Swallow Lodge is not at capacity.
But the anonymous employee said that remark was ‘really upsetting’.
“They’ve picked stats to suit their argument ignoring the fact with more staff we could have more people,” they said. “Some users need more than one member of staff to look after them. Some also can’t be placed next to each other, for example, if one doesn’t like loud noises but one is noisy.”
The staff member also criticized the ‘disgustingly short amount of time’ between telling users and the proposed closures saying “They’ve not canvassed staff or users at all.”
There are also concerns raised about availability.
The Making Spaces employee spoke of one person who has for two years looked to find suitable respite care for a son who has epilepsy.
Last June The Voice reported on Spalding’s George Earth who was told he could no longer stay at Cedar House after ten years of regular visits because the centre could no longer tube feed.
His mum Lynne said they did find suitable respite care for him but it took nine months.
Coun Marian Overton told the scrutiny panel ‘it looked like’ the council ‘hadn’t maintained’ the centres.
The Voice asked the county council if it would like to comment on the closure but it hadn’t responded at the time of going to press.
In the original release Coun Steve Clegg, executive member for adult care and health, said: “Over the last few years, we’ve spoken to families about how we can better meet their needs.
“Around a quarter of them already make use of other care providers for short breaks and rolling out that approach on a wider scale would give all families greater choice, flexibility and support that’s closer to home. If the plans are approved, we’ll work closely with all involved to ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements.”
Two petitions have been started on www.change.org, one called ‘Stop Cedar House Respite centre closure in Spalding’ and the other ‘Save Lincolnshire’s Remaining Adult Respite Centres’.
Families who use the service have been speaking of how they think the changes will effect them.
