Day centre 'could still be saved'

More than 80 people who attend activities at Charnwood House in Swinton are having their needs assessed before being moved on.

The move mirrors the closure of Copeland Lodge in Thurcroft, with Rotherham Borough Council again moving customers into private provision.

But a Charnwood source said: “Even if the buildings are not fit for purpose, the service still can be. 

“Charnwood is not half as bad as Copeland was. What it needs is a good lick of paint to spruce it up, inside and out.

“But the council wants it all running down. They don’t want to have anything to do with daycare.”

Council officials have been making a DVD of what happened at Copeland to guide Charnwood’s customers and relatives through the process.

Many from the Thurcroft centre were shifted to Niche, a new provision at Templeborough.

The source said: “This with Charnwood is an exact copy of what they did with Copeland. New referrals were stopped from last June.

“They don’t officially shut down, but they assess everyone and even if you say you’re happy there, they move you on.

“There were 100 a week going at one point. Gradually, as people have moved on, passed away or their health deteriorates, this has dropped.

“I know some family members have called up and been crying because they’re worried about what will happen.

“The council makes out that everyone who’s been moved to Niche is happy, but they’re not. Some have lost contact with their friends.

“Staff have been told that jobs are not at risk and not to worry. Some have already moved on.”

The council says it has a dedicated team working with Charnwood families to create an individual plan for each customer.

Cllr David Roche, Cabinet member for adult social care, said: “We have over 80 customers who will move to the alternatives to traditional care, offering a wider choice of services that are tailored to what they want and in many cases closer to where they live. 

“Individual case studies from the closure of Copeland Lodge show that once people are able to access a wider choice, the majority of customers were happier than when using the old service.

“The changes implemented will take place over the next few months and aim to create better value services not a reduction in service and our customers’ needs remain central with more emphasis on personalisation.”

He added: “There is no timescale to complete this work. The reviews are taking place at the pace of customers and their carers.

“Wherever possible we are seeking to avoid redundancies and have discussed the planned changes with staff to ensure that they are fully informed about all the options available to them, including redeployment.”