Families ‘depressed and anxious’ about potential day centre closures in Bucks

The authority wants to stop delivering respite services from Buckingham Day Centre, Burnham Day Centre, Hillcrest Day Centre in High Wycombe and Seeleys House Short Breaks Centre in Beaconsfield.

It would instead deliver services from its remaining three sites, Aylesbury Opportunity Centre, Chesham Short Breaks Centre and Wycombe’s Spring Valley Day Centre.

The council estimates its plan, which includes repurposing the Buckingham site as an independent college for people with special educational needs and disabilities, will save £740,000 a year.

The authority is running a ‘better lives in our communities consultation’ on its plans, which it has extended until January 31 and says ‘are only proposals at this stage’.

However, some parents of the adults who use the centres fear the council has effectively already come to a decision, but that it has not thought how its proposals will affect vulnerable people.

Hazel Howe explained there was ‘no way’ her son Thomas with his ‘life-threatening’ epilepsy would be able to travel to ‘the other side of Aylesbury’ as might be the case if the council closes Burnham Day Centre which he uses.

The mother told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she was also concerned about the other families.

She said: “The consultation is supposed to be ‘better lives’. It isn’t better lives at all because our loved ones who are severely disabled and have high health needs are not being put at the forefront.”

Hazel said she and other parents had questions about the structures of the buildings and the huge potential journey times for centre users if some of the sites close.

“Parents want answers as to why they have come to this stage of a consultation,” she added.

Councillor Angela Macpherson, the deputy leader and cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said the council must balance providing the ‘right support for vulnerable adults’ with ‘cost-effective’ services.

But Hazel believes Councillor Macpherson and other council figures do not fully appreciate the impact that closing day centres would have on users and their families.

She referred to Councillor Macpherson’s comments at a recent health and adult social care select committee meeting in which the cabinet member said tending the vegetables on her allotment made her ‘feel happy’.

Hazel said: “My response to that is, I’m glad that you’re happy that you can dig up your veg.

“But we’re not happy that parents are seeking medical attention from GPs because they are now suffering from depression, stress and anxiety from this consultation.”

Councillor Macpherson said: “We know these services are highly valued, however, in recent years, the number of people accessing the council-run services has fallen and the buildings are underused.

“Some buildings also require significant investment and overall the service is not providing value for money. We are therefore consulting on new proposals on how to run this service.”

These claims – that the centres are underused and in poor condition – are the council’s main arguments for closing some of its sites.

It has frequently cited an apparent 61 per cent decline in attendance at the centres to just 128 people, down from 330 adults in March 2020.

However, Hazel and other parents argue that the council could promote its day centres in a better way and could host more people at its larger sites such as Burnham and Seeleys.

Parents from Aylesbury to Wycombe to Burnham are said to have been ‘stuck at home for years’ without any access to day respite facilities and struggling to care for their loved ones.

Hazel said: “The council are not being honest and truthful because we have had families contact us who have said that since 2022, they have not had any services.

“Why are they saying these buildings are underused when these people are sat at home?”

Her and other parents also dispute the £1.75 million worth of upgrades the council claims are needed across its seven centres over the next five years.

She said: “It is not that at all. Burnham was upgraded recently. We are happy to raise money on Go Fund Me for the projects they are talking about.”

Some work, like roofing, is classed as ‘essential’, while other improvements to sensory equipment, furniture and gardening is classed as ‘desirable’.

Despite using the condition of the buildings to justify their closure, the council refused to confirm how it calculated the cost of the upgrades it claims are required.

Hazel added: “It is quite alarming really. We are all concerned. All the centres have got sensory rooms. Seeleys had a new boiler last year. The costings don’t make sense.”

She also claimed the families have been stopped from inviting MPs to look around the day centres, with MPs now apparently having to request permission from Sara Turnbull, the council’s service director for strategy, improvement and governance.

“This is all coming from the top and all the way down,” Hazel added, “It is political. They are trying to block us.”

The parent has had support from a handful of local councillors, although others have merely directed families to the consultation and some have failed to respond to them at all.

Hazel did not believe the assurances from the council’s corporate director for adults and health, Craig McArdle, and Councillor Macpherson that ‘no decision has been made’ on the centres.

She said: “We know when the budget comes that they are going to make these decisions. But they are targeting the wrong people. I am so upset for the parents and our loved ones.”

The consultation is available here.