Lincolnshire County Council has admitted ‘not all families feel as though they’ve been heard’ over changes to respite care which have angered some of them.
Cedar House in Spalding is one of two facilities which offer short breaks for disabled adults and which could close, with service users moved to nearby care homes instead.
The plans have been paused after a backlash from families, with some saying their relatives wouldn’t be able to cope with the change, writes Local Democracy Reporter Jamie Waller.
The council is spending more time gathering feedback, and the senior councillor for adult social care said that everyone would be listened to.
Coun Steve Clegg said he wanted to develop a “more flexible, reliable and accessible service”, but acknowledged some families had felt ignored.
“I understand why they might have concerns. Short breaks are not an abstract concept for them, they’re a lifeline,” he told the full council meeting on Friday May 22.
“The proposals are not about cutting support. We are still exploring options for the future, and families must be heard before a final decision.
“There are no plans to reduce the budget, and we’re looking at whether we could make better use of our resources.”
He said that the current model has led to “cancellations, reduced flexibility and a reliance on expensive ad-hoc services”.
“We are looking into whether there could be specialist settings closer to home which would be more accommodating and open access to more families.
“What families think does matter, and it’s clear some people have not felt their concerns have been heard.”
Coun Marianne Overton asked if the council’s report could have been better scrutinised: “Many of these people have severe needs which require one-to-one attention over 24 hours a day.
“There’s not many places in Lincolnshire that will provide that.
“That is why so many families were horrified to see that lifeline cut off.”
Coun Clegg said he was sorry: “Could things have been handled better? Yes and for that I do regret that people have felt not listened to.
“I’m assured we did attempt to contact families that use that service but clearly we could have been more tenacious.”
He claimed that Making Spaces, which runs Cedar House and another facility in North Hykeham were ‘aware for a number of months’ that a ‘possibility’ of the closure but ‘that wasn’t communicated to their staff’.
Today (Friday, May 29), the county council put out another release saying it was putting on sessions for affected parents which Coun Clegg would attend ‘in an observational role’.
In a statement he said: “I understand that families are anxious about the possibility of change, particularly the potential closure of Cedar House and Swallow Lodge. So, I want to again reassure them that no decision has been taken and won’t be until they’ve had an opportunity to share their thoughts on the best way forward.
“We’ll be asking for views on a range of options, including keeping the service as it is now. However, we also want them to consider how the service might be improved.
We know that some families struggle to access short breaks under the current model, and we want to explore whether we can create a new-look service that provides care closer to home, supports a wider range of clinical needs and considers young people who as they move into adulthood, may access the service.
“That said, how families feel matters, and I want them to know that, at this stage, all options remain on the table, including continuing to use Swallow Lodge and Cedar House.
“I want to be certain that they have had a chance to share their valuable feedback and experiences before officers develop their final proposals for the service, so we can be confident that any changes that might ultimately be put forward best meet needs. Because I know that, for them, short breaks aren’t an abstract issue – they’re a lifeline.”
