The father of a child with special educational needs says he will not accept a council's decision to axe a support service. The decision to close a respite centre comes after a ten-year battle to keep the service open.
The facility is now set to close and, instead, the provision will be expanded in a nearby town. But Gary Knowles, whose son Ashley, 16, attends Lavender House for 60 nights per year, said he feels betrayed by the decision and will continue to fight for that site to remain operational.
The kitchen fitter from Essex said that if it weren’t for the service he and his wife Faye would have separated under the stress of caring for a child with acute special needs, EssexLive reports.
The 50-year-old said: “It’s a travesty. We have been fighting this for so long that one day it was always going to happen. We are in shock at the moment to be honest because it’s such a travesty for families such as ours.
“It is a big loss to the council, we believe, to close this service. It is one of the flagship services in the county and it has helped us no question as a family.
“We would not have coped without it and we would have separated a long time ago if it weren’t for Lavender House. We are very upset and very disappointed. We feel like we have been betrayed a bit to be honest.”
He said that the nearby service to be expanded in Harlow – around a 90-minute car journey away – was too far to be of use for Ashley. He added: “Those days thankfully have passed but not for other families and not for other children. We are so disappointed. The council has not thought it through and what it means.
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“People rely on this respite for so many things. There are so many reasons. Some need it so they can do the shopping and go to see friends for just couple of hours. It is just to keep us sane and have some degree of inclusion in life.”
He is now hoping for the decision to be 'called in' and revisited at a future council scrutiny meeting. He added: “I will not be able just to accept this. We need to go further with it.”
Councillor Beverly Egan, cabinet member for Children’s Services and Early Years, said The Maples in Harlow, as a purpose-built facility, is better suited to meet the needs of young people. She added the proposals will mean an extra 1,500 overnight short break nights available for families and up to 150 per cent more capacity at weekends, with the option to be able to block book for up to seven nights which is not available currently.
She said: “I absolutely understand families’ anxiety about this change and officers have done all they could reasonably do to minimise any negative impacts on the families and we will continue to work closely with them. Our new blended offer will mean more children and families across Essex will benefit from an improved service.
"The blended offer will be based on what the families need and could include services that are run by Essex County Council or by external providers the council has commissioned to run.
“Families will not be expected to travel to alternative sites if this is not in the best interest of their child. There will be local options available. And we will continue to work with families across Essex to find the best solution for them.”
