Carers In Talks With Aberdeen Council Over Closure

ANGRY carers have met Aberdeen council bosses as they mounted a campaign to keep two-day centres open. Aberdeen City Council could be closing one of two sites as part of a shake up of social services.

Rosehill House in Aberdeen’s Ashgrove Road West and the Burnside Centre in Mastrick are set to merge, with one of the two buildings shutting.

But carers have hit out at the move and say it will have a negative effect on Aberdeen people who have used them.

They met representatives from Aberdeen City Council at the Burnside Centre and are due to meet again for further talks.

Aileen Hutchison, 54, of Aberdeen’s Cove, has hit out at the plans.

Her daughter Susan, 31, who uses a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy, goes to Rosehill four times a week.

She said: “We feel the centres are of great value to all the services users. They get so much out of their days spent there.

“They do a wide variety of activities, meet their friends, feel safe in the environment, know all the staff and one another.”

The merger is part of Aberdeen council’s budget proposals to save more than £25 million, which were finalised this month.

Instead the council is going to invest £320,000 in alternatives to day care, including helping people access employment, education, training and leisure.

Uncertainty now surrounds the futures of about 80 people cared for in each centre, the two biggest of their kind in Aberdeen.

Assessments are being carried out into the needs of users to see if day care is still needed or whether alternatives should be provided.

Choices Day Centre in Aberdeen’s Westburn Road closed last year as part of council cutbacks.