North Yorkshire council chiefs are being advised to approve the closure of a day care centre for adults — despite concerns about the impact this would have on vulnerable users.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive will vote on whether to shut the Cauwood Day Service in Malton on Tuesday (AUGUST 4).
Senior officers who are recommending the centre is closed say the current service, which supports adults with learning disabilities, autism and physical and sensory needs, is no longer sustainable.
They have highlighted a sharp fall in demand in recent years, rising costs and the poor condition of the building as reasons for the closure.
According to a report prepared for the meeting, the cost of delivering the service is now around double the market average, while the ageing building requires an estimated £314,000 of repairs within the next two years to maintain safe standards.
The council says users of the service would not lose support due to the closure.
Councillor Michael Harrison, executive member for health and adult services, is backing the closure.
He said individual reviews had been carried out with people who use the service, together with their families and carers, to identify suitable alternatives.
The councillor stressed that a closure would only take place once replacement support was in place, including tailored care packages where needed and a new community-based service centred around a local hub in the Malton area.
He said: “We recognise that Cauwood Day Service is highly valued by people who use the service, their families and carers, particularly for the consistency, stability, trusted relationships and social opportunities it provides.”
A six-week public consultation attracted 143 responses from service users, relatives, carers, staff and residents.
The council says the feedback highlighted the importance of preserving the outcomes people value while exploring a more flexible and financially sustainable way of providing support.
If the closure goes ahead, the authority hopes to retain the centre’s 12 permanent staff wherever possible.
The day centre currently supports eight people.
Despite the assurances, Caroline Garrod, whose daughter Natasha attends Cauwood, said she was “deeply upset” that the proposal differed from what she had discussed with senior council officers last week.
She said: “It appears that the option they are wanting to push on us is in fact community-based.
“Before I agree to anything else, I want to know where the building is. It’s like they are dangling this as a carrot, wanting us to agree.
“Giving us half of the information is totally unacceptable. This report does not give me the answers I need.”
Councillor Steve Mason, member for the Amotherby and Ampleforth division, who secured an extraordinary scrutiny meeting to discuss the potential closure last week, welcomed a pledge to maintain the centre until the replacement service was in place.
But he added: “The new proposal for the future of Cauwood still feels like it is trying to please everyone at once.
“I have to ask whether simply keeping the ‘Cauwood’ name, while seeking approval to dismantle this gold-standard specialist hub and replace it with a vague ‘touchdown’ community space before we have a confirmed location and clinical guarantees, is acceptable.”
Malton councillor Keane Duncan, who organised a petition to save the centre, said it was “welcome news” that Cauwood was now expected to continue as a service, retaining its staff in a new building in the Malton area.
He added: “The original proposal in April was to close Cauwood without consultation and without a replacement centre. We said that was unacceptable and that the people who depend on this lifeline deserved to be heard.
“We were able to stop that decision, securing a full consultation and taking our campaign into the community, with more than 1,500 people backing our petition.
“However, questions remain about the detail of the proposals and we are seeking further assurances from the council before its final decision next week.”
The council is considering whether the day centre site could be used for a new extra care housing scheme, if the closure is agreed.
Be the first to comment