A BALLYGOWAN father fears the shock closure of a centre for adults with learning difficulties will have a ‘devastating impact’ on local families.
For the past six years Martin Bradley’s son, 25 year-old Joshua, has thrived and made friendships by attending the Action Mental Health Promote centre twice a week.
The Bradley family were shocked to receive an email from the charity bosses earlier this week saying their doors would close at the end of March.
The Enterprise Road centre in Bangor, currently provides training for over 50 adults with learning difficulties and Mr Bradley’s fears are high that its closure will have ‘irreparable damage to their confidence, social interaction and mental well-being’.
Concerns have been expressed that staff currently working at the centre will be made redundant and not offered alternative employment within the charity.
Announcing their closure decision, the charity boss said it ‘had not been taken lightly’ but was due to ‘budgetary constraints’ and was ‘really out of AMH’s control’.
However, local parents have slammed the ‘out of the blue’ email as ‘cold hearted’ and said it has left them fearful for their children’s futures, their happiness and mental well-being.
These determined families have now formed a working group and won the support of Strangford MP Jim Shannon in their fight to save this vital service for their vulnerable children.
David Babbington, AMH chief executive, said their contract to provide the Promote Day Opportunities Service in Bangor on behalf of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust would end in just over two months’ time.
He said that AMH had provided this ‘much loved’ service on behalf of the trust since 2008 but would no longer be able to do so due to ‘ongoing pressures being felt across the voluntary sector and wider health sector’.
The charity boss said they were working closely with the trust to ensure the ‘least disruption’ to their clients, families and carers during this ‘difficult period’.
He stressed both organisations understood the impact the closure would have and said trust key workers and AMH staff would support their clients as they moved to alternative services.
However local families have expressed fears that there are ‘no’ spaces at any of the alternative facilities in the borough, with travel further afield to Downpatrick and Newcastle ‘just not possible’ for these vulnerable adults.
Mr Bradley highlighted the positive impact the centre had on his son’s life saying: “Joshua attends AMH Promote which has been amazing for him over the past six years as he has made many friends, provided him with the vital requirement of social interaction and learning important new life skills. Attending Promote also gives him a sense of purpose and belonging, which is so important for his social development and mental health.”
He said: “The staff, clients and carers received the devastating news that Promote has been scheduled to permanently close on March 31 this year due to a lack of funding.
“Promote has over 50 clients attending, some of which attend five days per week. To the clients and their families this is the only option available to provide the much needed care and attention.”
He said: “The clients have little to no voice and it would be remiss of me not to say that not being able to attend Promote will have irreparable damage to their confidence, social interaction and mental well-being.
“This will also have huge implications, both financially and mentally for all the amazing staff members at Promote who do a tremendous job daily in protecting, teaching and caring for their vulnerable clients.”
One Newtownards mother, who asked not to be named, fears her son will suffer serious setbacks as the Action Mental Health facility was the only one she found that was able to meet the complex needs of his autism.
“Everywhere else, staff just weren’t able to meet his needs,” she said. “AMH Promote have been amazing, he’s come along so far there and his confidence has really improved.
“I’m worried this closure will set him back. It’s frustrating, the needs of the people who go there seem to have been forgotten in all this. We’re all asking ourselves what we’re supposed to do next, but there’s nothing we can do next; most of the other facilities around here are full and, in any case, not all of them are suitable for someone with complex needs.”
Jim Shannon, Strangford MP, has asked for a meeting with the local trust to address local families’ concerns saying: “I have been contacted by a number of parents who are incredibly upset and concerned about the mental health and wellbeing of their children or loved ones in this wonderful facility.
“This caters to a number of children with special needs and this disruption to routine will be very difficult to cope with as well as the loss of the wee friendships that have been built there. I have asked for a meeting with the Trust to discuss this and will raise it at first opportunity with the Secretary of State while I am over here in Westminster.”
