Anger Over Closure Of Hockley Respite Centre

A ‘vital’ facility which offered respite care for the disabled in Tamworth has been closed by county health chiefs.

South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, South Staffordshire PCT and Staffordshire County Council closed Hockley Respite Centre in Beauchamp Road last Thursday (January 31) and the decision has angered the community.

“I am furious about this,” said Councillor John Garner. “They should be supporting these most vulnerable of people instead of attacking them.”

Hockley Respite Centre has enabled carers of the disabled to have a short break knowing that their loved ones are taken care of.

It was equipped with trained staff fully conversant with the needs of disabled people.

Back in September 2006 service users were told by interim manager for learning disability, Tim Wright, that although changes were anticipated the facility would not be closed without consultation, and service provision would continue.

Service users have been offered alternative respite care in Cannock for 12 months but, according to Cllr Garner, there was no consultation.

“Promises have been broken,” he said. “We were not notified until after the closure.”

Cllr Garner believes the Government is to blame for failing to provide adequate funding for these services at a local level and he also criticises the county council for what he believes is a lack of adequate planning.

The authorities say that the move is due to ‘unforeseen circumstances around operational staffing difficulties’ and the Hockley service will be moved to White Lodge in Cannock.

They say they appreciate this relocation may well cause some practical difficulties for service users, their families and carers and say they have been working closely with them on an ongoing basis to resolve these wherever possible.

Julian Wakefield, interim head of joint commissioning for learning disability services said: “We are very committed to continuing to support the people affected by this service move and want to ensure we continue to provide a safe and reliable service of a high standard. “We want to assure families and carers that we do understand the importance of respite care and are dedicated to ensuring they can continue to access the same level of care provision, with no reduction of the service.”