A three-month consultation has been launched after the county council backtracked on closing a respite care home.
Lincolnshire County Council had said Cedar Lodge, providing respite care for adults with specialist needs, would be closed to save £343,324 a year.
But a huge backlash from families saw the council release a statement on May 8 saying it was renewing its contract with the operator, Making Spaces, so it could listen to service users.
Families were devastated to discover the council wanted to send the special needs adults to residential care homes which offer nursing care for working age adults.
“This would see services moved from their current location, Swallow Lodge in North Hykeham and Cedar Lodge in Spalding, and instead delivered in homes across the county that already provide residential care,” said a statement on May 8.
“Following feedback from some of the people using the service, and staff from the current provider, we have now decided to carry out further public consultation,” added the statement.
The council also later apologised and admitted that ‘not all families feel as though they’ve been heard.’
Karen Ridley’s 32-year-old son Daniel has been a regular visitor of the service since he was 19.
“I desperately need this respite to stay open. Without it, Daniel would be harder to care for as I struggle at the moment.
“I rely on my son’s respite to give me a break and recharge my batteries.”
Carol Beeton’s 25-year-old son Ben stays at Cedar House one night a week and she only knew about the potential closure when she read it in The Voice.
Cedar House was designed to cater for adults with wide-ranging special needs.
This week the county council said there were five options on the table during the consultation period.
“We are proposing to extend the current contracts until July 31 2027, subject to approval by the council’s Executive, to allow time for meaningful consultation with those using the service and other types of overnight respite care, and the wider public,” it says.
Families who use the respite care will be contacted for individual meetings so they can ‘share their specific needs and concerns.’
There’s also an online survey for members of the public which runs to September 7. A final decision is expected to be taken in January 2027.
Options include keeping things the same; all services provided by the council; support closer to home (previous recommendation); stop using Cedar House and Swallow Lodge and using external specialist providers.
