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Threat to Kidsgrove Day Care Services
On Thursday 17th October as Town mayor I called a public meeting to ask more questions about Staffordshire County Councils consultation on Day Care Services. Kidsgrove currently has its own Day Care Centre for adults with physical and learning disabilities. Cllr Robbie Marshall who is Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing attended the public meeting and answered most questions put to him. County Councillor John Taylor, Joan Walley MP and respresentatives of carers and service users were also in attendance. Click the link for the minutes: MINUTES PUBLIC MEETING Kidsgrove Day Care Services
The Bishop of Stafford, Geoff Annas has also made a visit to the Day Care Centre in recent weeks to look into services currently being provided by the County Council.
Geoff said: “It was a great pleasure to visit the Kidsgrove Day Care Centre and meet such enthusiastic and dedicated Staff and those using the many services that they offer. The Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of the Service Users and their Carers and this is based on many years of experience. The atmosphere was really positive with much laughter and obvious enjoyment of the music and dancing and art activities that were taking place. This Centre is well-equipped and spacious and has the potential to offer support to even more people and their Carers. I think it would be a great loss to the Community if the Centre was closed or even down-scaled and I would urge Staffordshire County Council to support local Residents by voting for their preferred choice of Option One from the Consultation Paper. We have a clear responsibility to care for the disadvantaged and especially those who find it difficult to voice their own opinions. Charities, community groups, private companies and independent providers should supplement rather than replace Local Authority Provision. I would also urge the County Council to investigate why more Carers are not accessing the help offered by this excellent Day Care Centre.”
Public Meeting to Save Kidsgrove Day Care Services
I have always believed everyone in the community should get a fair deal in life. Fairness for all!
I have called a public meeting to discuss Staffordshire County Councils Consultation on the future of the Day Care Service in Kidsgrove. The facility on Gloucester Road could face closure leaving people with a wide range of disabilities with nowhere to go. The meeting shall take place on Thursday 17th October, 7pm at Kidsgrove Town Hall. I want everybody to attend including service users, parents, centre staff and general members of the public. Staffordshire County Council representatives and Social Services will also be invited.
It has been revealed that only fifty service users access the centre after social workers suddenly stopped referring people to the centre two years ago. Why did they stop referring? Was there a plan to close down the centre and therefore the consultation just a smokescreen for what has already been decided? Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, Robbie Marshall has insisted no decision has yet been made to close the centre down but many service users and parents would beg to differ. It seems to me the demand is out there but people aren’t made aware of the service any longer.
As I sat through a meeting talking to the parents of disabled adults who use this service I was shocked and appalled at the way they have had the door shut in their faces. They had lost all faith in those who should be giving them 100% support. Some had spent 2 hours trying to get in touch with Social Workers so that they could raise their concerns over this consultation. Instead their calls were transferred all around the County until quite literally they gave up. Is this really a service that cares about people in need? Is this putting disabled people first?
We should be building more day care facilities for the disabled, not shutting them down. Services for the disabled should never be in place to make a profit for shareholders and a private company. Services like this should be provided by the local authority for those who are in need. You never know if you or a family member will ever need help from the system in the future. Would Mr Marshall be confident he would be looked after at the highest possible standards if god forbid anything ever happened to him and he was permanently disabled?
People want and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. This is a basic human right.
Kidsgrove Mayor, Cllr Kyle Robinson.
