Consultation on plans to move residential short break services for disabled adults to Aylesbury
The council says the service is in need of 'modernisation' both in terms of the premises used (Seeleys in Beaconsfield) and the overall quality of the service.
It has received poor ratings from the Care Quality Commission for the past three years - inadequate in 2016 and then needs improvement in 2017 and 2018.
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Hide AdAt a cabinet meeting today (Monday) the council approved a six-week consultation on the transfer of residential short break services from the Beaconsfield site to a partial new build on the Aylesbury Opportunities Centre site and the reduction in day service capacity at Aylesbury Opportunities Centre.
For the past six months the county council has been holding consultations into the way adult and children’s short breaks services are delivered after it was found carers are reaching “crisis point” before they receive help.
A ten week consultation on the draft adult short breaks policy runs until January 14, and now the county council wants to discuss new plans for the way residential breaks are delivered.
Short breaks allow children and adults with disabilities to spend time away from home and develop independence either for the day or overnight, which in turn allows their primary carers to have a break from caring responsibilities.
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Hide AdA council report states the move to Aylesbury will provide fairer access to services for people across the county, more opportunities to recruit staff and better transport links.
Current users of the short break services at the opportunities centre will be moved to another service for a year while the site undergoes a partial rebuild.
The day services provided at the Aylesbury site will then have to be reduced in order to make way for the transfer of the new residential service.
The building of the new facility at Aylesbury Opportunities Centre is scheduled to begin in August this year and take one year, with the transfer from Seeleys House to Aylesbury then due for completion in August 2020.