Misgivings Over Charity’s Move From Aberdeen City Centre

A mental health campaigner has expressed “severe misgivings” about an Aberdeen charity’s decision to move a carers support service away from its city-centre location.

Jim Kiddie said VSA’s centre on Belmont Street was the ideal site for people who use it and for promoting the work of volunteers, who often function in isolation, to the wider community.

The SNP councillor said re-locating it to the organisation’s headquarters in Castle Street meant it would be “hidden away” from view.

Mr Kiddie, who sits on the council’s Mental health services working group, said members, as well as a lot of service users, were not adequately consulted on the issue.

He said he was particularly annoyed because the council owns the premises and picks up the charity’s £29,000 a year lease costs.

VSA, formerly Voluntary Service Aberdeen, said moving the operation, which provides advice and support for voluntary carers, to Castle Street would ensure that services would be integrated and the upgraded accommodation would have access for disabled people. But Mr Kiddie, the SNP group mental health spokesman on Aberdeen City Council, said the move would cause hardship.

“Volunteers require a good deal of support and information and the current city-centre location is well known throughout Scotland as a model for good practice,” he added.

“There is a general view this is an ideal location because it is very visual and people passing the shop can easily see what kind of support is available. But now it looks like the centre will be hidden away in the charity’s offices.”

The centre provides a drop-in, appointment and telephone advice and support service.

Counselling and a variety of treatments such as Indian head massage, reflexology, reiki and art therapy are available.

Mr Kiddie said group members were “very concerned” they had not had a chance to express their views on the plans.

“Given that the council gives them all that money would it not have been nice to consult us?” he asked.

Bob McDonald, director of VSA’s adult and community services, insisted that widespread consultation had been carried out.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, he added: “We believe it fits under VSA’s strategic mandate to provide and deliver an integrated service as requested by the hundreds of stakeholder groups like staff members, volunteers and carers that we consulted with during our strategic review in 2005.

“We do not believe that this move will in any way detract from the visibility of carers services in the local area and will only improve on the service.

“Unlike the current premises which are ostensibly a shop front with limited office accommodation, the new premises will take into account the needs of carers and provide upgraded accommodation and better disabled access.”

Mr McDonald said the overall cost savings to VSA from the integration of support services like reception, administration, management and technology costs, would be reinvested into the improvement of services.

Mr McDonald refused to make any comment on the charity’s contractual agreement with the council.

The carer’s centre is expected to be in place at its new home by November 2008.