A charity that supports people with brain injuries and other disabilities has slammed council chiefs over facilities at a new £150,000 hub. Kickstart with Hope claims the new Hub Alkrington, in Middleton, is scruffy, uninviting and not fit for disabled people to use.
The group is carrying on the work of the Moving On service - which was based at the Hardfield Road building prior to its overhaul and relaunch - albeit without council adult care staff. The authority was condemned by Healthwatch Rochdale for making people feel ‘worthless’ during a consultation that led to the closure of the service, while the ombudsman said the exercise was not ‘satisfactory’ and ordered an apology.
The new Hub Alkrington officially reopened in July and is intended as a ‘one-stop’ shop enabling adults to access a range of wellbeing and care services. Home to organisations such as HMR Circle, Mind and Your Trust bosses have hailed it as ‘an innovative community facility’ that will ‘grow’ to provide ‘quality services’ for vulnerable people.
READ MORE : Care bosses insist £150K hub revamp will provide 'value for money services'
However, Kickstart with HOPE has pilloried the council, saying the building is not up to scratch and the council needs to do more to support groups such as themselves. Secretary Karen Lever said: “People who attended the Moving On were told there would be a place they could go when the charity Kickstart with Hope started groups at the Hub.
“Currently Kickstart with Hope are putting on groups but because of the issues with the building - and because there is no staff to tend to people’s personal support - disabled people, carers and families are reluctant to come to the hub.” Ms Lever says the council has advised people they can use their personal budgets for this but questions whether it is ‘feasible to have someone use five hours of their care just to attend the Hub when the only care they may need is help with toileting or transferring from wheelchair to another chair’.
She added: “Adult care needs to help community groups offer the services people want that are not already available in the community. Services for people aged 19 – 55 with physical sensory acquired disability are non-existent in the borough. Given the budget and services other groups are allocated, this does not say'equality'.” The group has used the hub since its relaunch but describes its appearance as ‘neglected’ and ‘not welcoming’.
Ms Lever says the automatic doors don’t work - meaning people with mobility issues have to phone someone inside to access the building - while the new corridor is said to be ‘bland uninviting and clinical’. She adds that a geyster tap in the corridor has never worked, meaning the kitchen is mostly used for making hot drinks rather than for preparing food.
Further issues are said to include:
- The doors into the hall are too heavy for people to open from either side. Wheelchairs have been damaged as doors have closed on them going through.
- The disabled toilet ceiling track hoist is not in use, stopping people who need the it from being able to attend
- The door to the woodwork room is too heavy for people to open and close. Since the revamp, the room is now so small it can only accommodate one person and one wheelchair.
The group also claims the council has failed to implement the recommendations from the ombudsman’s report by not consulting them on shaping future services. The council referred the Local Democracy Reporting Service, to a statement it issued following recent criticism of the hub from Better Health 4 Middleton group.
Claire Richardson, the council’s director of adult care, said: “This boroughwide service is at the heart of our prevention strategy, with organisations based at the centre providing a range of services to improve people’s mental wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Through ongoing consultation and engagement, community groups and residents will continue to have the opportunity to shape future service provision, as the hub continues to grow and expand.
“Along with our new virtual smart house, which displays a range of assistive technology services for our residents, we are confident the hub will provide quality, value for money, services for older and vulnerable people in the borough.”
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