Author: Simon Perry
Medina Centre Given Notice By IW Council
12:58 pm Tuesday, 15th June, 2010, Isle of Wight
ShortURL: http://wig.ht/26i4
Read More- Accessibility, Disability, Health, Island-wide, Isle of Wight Council, Newport, News
We’ve been hearing that there some major changes happening at Medina Centre in Newport.
VB understand that the Isle of Wight council has sent the IW Health authority a notice terminating the contract between them.
There’s a year’s notice to run, but we understand that, given the health authority has employment contracts with some of these staff that are a year long, some actions will be taken to end employment at the Medina Centre.
The Medina Centre has a wide range of activities for adults with learning disabilities from 18 to retirement age, both Centre and community based.
Update 13:07: The Isle of Wight council is changing the way services are delivered, moving to Personalisation, where people will be able to make their own choices as to where their previously centrally-administered funds are spent.
We’re going through the process of checking further details. More soon.
Image: Google Street View
Also relevant: Families In The Dark In Social Services’ Budget Limbo
Unbelievable…is there no end to this councils cruelity
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Pugh tube has been quiet lately, must of been building up to this one!!
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Quite right they have sneaked this one in under the door in the hope it will not cause a furore…well have I got news for you!!
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My daughter uses Medina centre it is such a wonderful place so happy and the staff are so caring it will absolutley devastate us and all other users to lose this centre .They are forcing us all on to personal budgets when many of us are happy as we are .All we need is places like Medina centre and Westminster House to enable us to look after our disabled adults at home and to enable them to have a place they can go to where they are well looked after .Shame on you Isle of Wight council for picking on learning difficulties to balance your books.
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shame on voters who continue elect Tory councillors to enable this council to continue to destroy communites on the Island
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I guess this was to be predicted, it was being looked at in 2005 for other reasons.
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IWCC is to say the least duplicitous in it`s dealings, letters sent to carers say that the council is withdrawing financial support from Medina centre and Meadowbrook, the two day centres for adults with disabilities, they tell us that we can pay for services with our so called personal budgets in the full knowledge that these budgets will not provide enough money to keep these centres open, I say in full knowledge as I have been told by a “Mole” in the council that already they are discussing possible openings in other departments for the staff at thes centres, My own daughter has attended Median for 24 years and would be devastated to lose it.
I was told by Dawn Cousins that she could choose what she wanted to do with her personal budget.
SHE WANTS TO GO TO MEDINA
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No doubt they will force their victims on to personal budgets and then set about slashing the value of those too. The SSB(Self Serving B*****d’s)
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Interestingly enough I recorded an interview to be played on IW radio tomorrow,they have asked the Island Health trust to comment who passed the buck to the IWC who passed it right back!
So nobody wants to comment on what I have to say!
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“”" WEDNESDAY 23 JUNE 9AM – 3PM AT NEWPORT FOOTBALL CLUB”"”"
IWC are holding a day where people can listen to what they have to say about the closures!!!
Users of services and carers are invited….. PREPARE to go in force! My Son has attended Medina for 22 years, 5 days a week… He is crying over this… we have to do something…. lets raise our voices! (Anyone know how to get this on facebook???
VICTOR MILDEW>>> WE NEED YOU TO HELP!!
Sandie xx
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http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=111750632182397
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I know this wont be popular, but surely personal budgets will mean that other things are available. Yes, the Medina Centre is good, but surely it would be better for those with learning difficulties to be able to participate in the same activities that people without are able to. Surely its better to treat disabled people normally. That way they will consider themselves to be valued members of society rather than a group that has to be specially catered for. I dont know much about it, but surely its better to treat everyone the same regardless of their disability, sex, skin colour, or anything else. Yes, specialist care can be needed, but surely that should be considered on an induvidual basis rather than providing it for an entire group. Surely that results in better care.
I know some people have said that what they want to do with their personal budget is what they already do, but there must be some people out there who are quite happy about this change and will enjoy doing other things. It occurs to me that people with learning difficulties may well want to stick to what theyre used to rather than try something new. Once they do try something new, often they enjoy it.
Sorry if anyone takes any offense to all that. Its a subject which makes it very hard to put your point over without sounding unfeeling or nasty about it. I certainly dont intend to be.
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People are rather frightened of change and as a result they may pass this fear to the people they care for.
Personal budgets work. I know this because my Mother has recently be awarded a budget. No, not as much as the services previously offered to her, but then, the previous services were actually not very good. She now chooses her support workers, times of support and loves the flexibilty and independence this gives her.
Please give it a try, talk to others on a personal budget, I think you may find a better quality of life around the corner. (And yes, she used to attend a Day service, so we are fully aware of what they offer)
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Hi All, this is what you voted for.
If you had wanted different you should have moved the X on voting day.
You reap what you sow.
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This is not something that the Isle of Wight Council/PCT have suddently decided to embark upon. This is a Goverment initiative which has to be followed! The closure of Medina/Meadowbrook will free up funding for innovative day activities to find their way into the market place, which people can buy into with their personal budgets. My view (For what its worth) Is that this will be an improvement on the tradional services which are rather outdated.
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Nonsense…Its just a plan to save money by depriving traditional services to the most needy…no tory spin or dressing up is going to change that
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yes, it is a plan to deprive traditional services to the most needy. But then who said traditional services are best? Like anything theres 2 sides to the argument.
If money can be saved by changing the way services are paid for, or changing the services themselves, then that is surely a good move. Like anything, at the moment people fear it because it is unknown. Its going to happen regardless, and if it proves not to work it will change again. However, if it is proved to work, then hopefully those who are against it now will discover it to be better.
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What if you are a vulnerable person who can’t have a personal buget at the moment because you live in residential care? And what if your day services are going to close and your transport be removed on the 1st July? And what if you can’t afford to pay for ‘innovative day activities’ or transport as it appears your personal funding will be cut? And what what if you’re not sure whether your budget will be cut because your local authority can’t tell you which care band you are on and keep changing their minds about how much money they are going to allow you? And what if you are unable to do a thing about it as you are one of the most vulnerable people on the IW? Answers below please.
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well, you come up with a number of what ifs there.
The simple answer to all of them is what if the taxpayer can no longer afford to fund any of these things because some people demand no change and some people demand change.
The council is doing what it beleives to be best for the majority. If they cant tell you what funding you will get, you should keep pushing until they can. That sounds like incompetence, not deliberate obstruction. Removing transport funding again sounds like incompetence if there is nothing in place to replace it.
As for vulnerable people being able to do nothing about it, give them some credit. A lot of them will be able to make enquiries as to what they will be getting. Others will have people to do that for them. Its quite presumtive to assume that disabled people will suffer because they are unable to defend themselves. Lots of them are. Lots of them are able to speak for themselves, stand up for themselves, and do so regularly. I think the onus should be on society to treat these people normally rather than assuming they cant do things. Yes, some are too disabled to cope with some tasks, but they should all be given the chance to decide for themselves what they want to do, and many are quite intelligent enough to realise that for themselves.
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Vunrable people are the people most scared of change…your attitude is exactly the small minded attitude the council has…’if it doesn’t work, they will try something else’
this is exactly what vunrable people do not need, they need stable, recoqnised and convienient facilities to allow them to build trust and reliance on those who are supposed to support them.
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Voting doesn’t make much difference. You have to get your politics over outside of elections. People don’t put there X by what they want,they put it beside who they have fidelity for. It works like this, my dad voted Conservative and my grandad voted Conservative and I have always voted conservative and the same goes for Labour or Liberal usually. You can get some generational change but not much. There usually has to be some major change like industry or mobility like “motorway man”, they have no affinity or loyalty.The point here is about cuts and saving money, people should block it whoever they voted for.
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Dear Intentionally blank, silly me, of course this council always does what it believes to be what the majority of the people on this island want…how come I missed that!
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No..the council is depriving the most vunrable minority members of the communitee because the argument can always be made that it benefits the ‘majority’.
But we should be judged on how we deal with our neglected minorities, not on how happy you can keep the majority
This is a cost cutting exercise based on no consultation, no ideas and no compassion….Its not just that the council doesn’t listen to the public….it forgets to ask them
The tax payer can clearly afford to maintain these establishments..we can afford to pay Benyon £160K a year..they can afford to reduse the deficit from 3.5 million to 300,000 in 3 months, they can afford to employ external accountants, they can afford a pointless communications department and they can afford ‘One Island’. They can afford to create extra jobs on the council, they can afford paid holiday for councillors under investigation.
We treat people ‘normally’ by providing facillities so they can live as normal a life as possible….not hide them away in their homes. These facilities are vital social centres.
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well, i didnt say vulnerable people are most scared of change. I said like anything, people fear the unknown. That goes for you, me, anyone, not just vulnerable people, so please dont put words in my mouth.
The majority i refer to is the majority of vulnerable people. Clearly the council feels it is following the best course of action for the majority of people who use these services. A few vocal people does not mean that all the vulnerable people on the island feel the same way, and there are comments above to support both sides. Clearly some people beleive it to be a good thing.
As for vulnerable people needing a stable recognised and convenient facility, i would dispute that. Some do find that better, some dont. I wouldnt presume to speak for them and neither should you. Again, its a point that people may be split on.
And I do agree with you about Benyon and paid holidays. But then this isnt about cuts really. Its a change to the way the money is paid. Hopefully it will save some money whilst providing a better standard of service. Not everyone will agree with that, but hopefully the majority of service users will. And thats who its really about, the people that use the services. Not you, not me, and certainly not Benyon.
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How does this council feel that it is following the best course of action when it hasn’t asked people.
I am not opposed to change. What I am opposed too is enforced, un-advised, un-publicised and possibly un-wanted change.
Maybe the majority of users of these facilities would prefer to use personal budgets, maybe not….but we will never know because the council is simply closing them down
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I have no idea how the council has reached the decision, but I would imagine that user numbers comes into it. However, i certainly dont think its un-advised. Im sure the council has taken lots of advice. And remember, there is a year notice to run on the contract. This may just be about ensuring they can close the place rapidly once other measures are in place. If personal budgets come in and the majority of users still want to use the centre then they may keep it open. If the numbers using it fall, they are likely to close it. Also, this is notice to the health authority. It may be that the centre remains open with less staff to cater for those who do want to go there, and those who dont are able to spend their money elsewhere.
In any case, yes the council should be more open and consult the users, but they still have time to do that. I dont think they will because there is not a requirement to do so and they know that there is a lot of opposition to any sort of change on the Island.
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Response to intentionally blank..I`m afraid you are totally missing the point, if every single person using the Median centre got a personal budget and mine is still not agreed after seven months, and we all spent our budget on wanting our vulnerable adults to go to Medina cos that is what they wanted there would still not be anough money to keep the centre open..let me say again.
BECAUSE THE PERSONAL BUDGET IS ESTIMATED AT FAR BELOW THE COST, IN MY CASE NEARLY HALF WE COULD NOT FUND THE MEDINA CENTRE.The only hope is if the council stepped in and made up the deficit and they are not going to do that because they want to close it…so much for freedom of choice.
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I get your point, i simply disagree with it. People will often not share your opinion. As I said in a previous post, maybe you should be campaigning to save the centre. Its the only way to attempt to change what is happening. But if your unsuccessful you will have to live with that.
Personally, the comment at the bottom from half way there speaks volumes to me. A staff member acknowlaging that the centre is tired and saying that personal budgets are the way forward really says it all.
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Bravo No 5
Well said
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Sorry does your Mother have learning difficulties?
What we are talking about here is not general personal budgets but the cutting of much needed and loved day services to those who are physically or mentally handicapped and unable to make those choices for themselves.
I`m glad your Mother has found this a good thing but she is hardly in the same position is she?
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In response to your comments I would agree that you know very little,but feel able to take the moral ground on the future that faces many of the service users of in this case Medina Centre.
What you think should happen, has been happening for a long time. Individuals choose their activities and are encouraged to utilise community facilities. Normalisation is a small part of the work that we do socialisation is constantly taking place. Perhaps a visit to the Centre would give you a more positive view into what we do and the positive effect that it has on individuals that attend.
We have been working towards the introduction of personal budgets for some time now, but unfortunately the Social Services department has failed to meet initial targets which includes the lack of consultation with individuals.Almost all of the people who attend Day Services are still awaiting confirmation that as of the end of this month they will not be able to access services that they have chosen. Those in Residential homes are not currently able to receive a personal budget, others will receive less than they currently receive,monotoring of what services they will’hopefully’ receive will in my opinion be minimal,as the team of Care Managers has reduced considerably. Maybe this department can give an honest assessment of the whole situation.
Medina Centre has never doubted the introduction of personal budgets,but perhaps the failure lies in the implementation, administration from the social services and from a Council that thought that they could make substancial cuts by using the excuse that this transition was in fact moving along nicely,when in fact it was in total disarray.
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Message to Rob: I think it is Michelle (?) who states that the service users and their carers were consulted and a document called Transformation of Day Services was produced. If this is correct then the people you support will have surely been part of that process? Is that document available to the people who are worried?
Also, a lady who lives near me has a daughter who attends Medina, she says that she is applying for a personal budget and that her daughter wants to continue to attend the Medina Centre, but has been told by the PCT that she cant pay to go there because its illegal to have a service user (?) pay directly. So my question is: If all the people want to go to the Medina Centre and they all get a personal budget, the Medina Centre are not able to take them!!?
Is this a case of “Lets find someone to blame other than the PCT”? Because my view may be simplictic, but if 200 people are going to lose their places because they cant pay to go to the Medina, it is not the fault of anyone other the the PCT surely??
This neighbour has decided to abandon the idea of a budget and opted for a status quo which is worrying if your service wont be there for much longer! Her daughter is being told by staff that the Medina will close, but no-one is sure. Can you tell us more? I will let my neighbour know about this event on 23rd because it may be useful for her to attend.
Thank you.
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response to Sandie
I am very aware of the Transformation of Day Services survey that was the work of Laura Timms,but have yet to see a copy,although I accept it is now available to inspect. I believe Laura was contracted for two years, left three months after the initial period, being in my words frustrated by the ‘workings’ of the social serviices department. One would naturally assume that such an in depth document should have been circulated within the service providers, but to my knowledge this has not happened, why?
You are right to state the difficulties that being run by the PCT present,as the NHS is free at the point of delivery and therefore cannot charge ‘at the door’ for services that it provides. This is therefore a problem that anybody requiring future day services at Medina Centre or Meadowbrook would need to overcome.
One further point may also be a deciding factor, is the land that medina centre sits on was valued some two years ago at I think something like 3.9 million pounds, so more silver for the council to sell to balance the books!!!!
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N0. 5 … in the autumn of 2008 the Isle of Wight Council asked 250 service users and 250 carers to take part in a consultation entitled “Transformation of Day Services” The report from which clearly shows that people (Users and carers) wanted a change to the way day services were offered. The report is available from the IWC if requested.
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Did that change involve withdrawing the facilities?
I willlookit upformyself, but if you know, please post the answer
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any change will involve withdrawing some facilities and replacing them with others.
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“Withdrawal” may not be a word which actually appears, but people felt quite strongly throughout the report that they wanted more control and choice over what their day opportunies were to be… so I guess they didnt say “Withdraw the Day centres” they simply said “Time for change and let us choose”
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I clearly can only speak for my own daughter but she has been going to Medina Centre for twenty four years, she does not like change for she has autism amongst other things, she loves the centre and is attached to the staff, if I ever suggest for example that she takes a week out and we do something else, say in the summer holidays she becomes very distressed, she calls it going to work, this so called personal budget is supposed to free her to do other things, well what exactly is she supposed to do? She can`t cross the road by herslf, she cannot be left unattended, I certainly cannot take her out and entertain her three days a week, I have to run and a home and care for other children, I see her doomed to sitting in her bedroom listening to music and watcing dvds with little of no social outlet.
Why should I stand back and watch them take away from her the little she has God knows she will never know life as the rest of us know it, never marry, have chilren, go out on the binge with her mates, all she has is the little I have fought for and believe me even what she has now was fought for many times. I know it is hard to understand if you have no such children in your family but I would like to kill anyone who deprived her of anything she has, sorry know that sounds ridiculous but it`s how I feel.
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hate to say this, but you are one person. The council serves the majority. I know some people dont beleive that, but the council themselves beleive that they are serving the majority. Just because you disagree with what they are doing doesnt mean that its not in the majoritys best interest, or that the council beleives it is.
Allowing people to spend money on what they want is good. If enough people want the medina centre it will remain open. If not enough want it, then clearly the council is right to close it and use the money for other things that more people want.
Whilst I understand your point of view, it will not change what is happening. If you feel strongly about it, put a petition together. Speak to the council. Get some support and campain for the centre to remain open. Otherwise nothing will change and the centre will close.
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‘If enough people want it it will remain open’
which planet are you from. If this council decide it is not worth keeping,it will go.
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im from a planet called earth since you ask.
And yes, if enough people want it it will remain open. If enough people choose to spend their personal budgets on it then it will have the funding it needs. Im slightly fed up about seeing people comment that the IOW council is a big bad entity that does whatever it likes whether people agree or not. The council beleive they are doing the right thing, they beleive they are doing what the majority want, and perhaps they actually are. Whatever your feelings towards the council, they beleive what they are doing is good. They are not out there intentionally plotting to make life harder for people. Unfortunately they dont always get it right.
I would be interested to see how much outcry there is about this in a years time. By that time I suspect many people will have realised they cant change this, and will have moved on to other things. Like anything, there is an initial outcry and then people realise that its better just to get on with it.
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Of course the council beleive they are doing the right thing…thats the terrifying thing about this council.
And unfortunately they seldom get it right..and who looses..we do, not them
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“Whatever your feelings towards the council, they beleive what they are doing is good”
I really don’t believe you could be that unintentionally naive, are you a council officer by any chance?
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oh come on, do you really beleive that the council is intentionally trying to make life worse for anyone? they are doing what they beleive to be right. its a shame a lot of people on the island are so paranoid as to beleive there is some conspiracy at work. The council is often incompetent, but never malicious.
As to my identity, it is blank intentionally as you can see. but no, i am not a council officer, nor do i work for the council in any way.
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Well I would seriously consider it as a career option, you have a natural bent for it. Good money to be made, plenty of perks and a golden pension, you’ll be onto a winner.
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I wouldnt consider it for a second. Its a thankless task. As for yourself, are you truly paranoid and think the council has it in for people, or do you aknowlage that the council is incompetent often but not malicious? You seem to think its intentional that the council do things which people dont like, but fail to mention that not everyone will like everything all the time.
In this case, the council are doing what they think best. A vocal minority are opposing it, but that doesnt mean the council is intentionally trying to piss them off, just that the council realises that something has to be done and is trying to find the best solution for the majority of people. Another way of putting it is accepting the lesser of two evils.
If you truly beleive that the council is a malicious body which likes nothing better than finding out what the worst possible thing for the island is and then doing it, I really do feel sorry for you.
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Believe me the feeling is mutual, and far better to be considered paranoid than to be devoid of compassion.
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excuse me? how dare you imply that i am devoid of compassion. My comments have simply tried to give the other point of veiw, and there seems to be at least a few people who agree with some of what I have said.
It is not uncompassionate to state the obvious, which is that this will happen regardless, and people should either oppose it effectively or live with it. Its not uncompassionate either to state that the council beleives its doing the right thing. To imply otherwise is paranoid and wrong. Again, i repeat, the council are often incompetent, but never malicious. People seem to forget that this council is made up of human beings who want to do the best job they can. That they often fail speaks more to incompetence than it does malice. They dont set out to fail, they set out to improve, as does any person in any job.
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The council, when holding consultations, have a nasty little strategy of categorising views contrary to those which support their intentions as “generic” . Simply dismissing responses which they don’t agree with by using their discretion to interpret them as they wish.
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I don’t beleive the council is malicious…just Tory and incompitent.
I’m sure they do think they are doing the right thing…but who knows..a million pound communications department that doesn’t speak to anybody
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You know Intentionally blank I am not just one person, I am one of many whose lives have been changed by caring for someone vulnerable who we love and fight for,I think you will find on the 23rd that a lot of us are speaking out.
I don`t think the council is deliberately trying to hurt anyone but they are being devious, they glibly talk of personal budgets in the full knowledge that this money will not be enough to keep these centres open..they are not being honest because behind the scenes they are working out what to do with the staff! I am all for personal choice, my daughters personal choice is to stay at Medina, so are many others and one ex disgruntled member of staff does not make me change my mind, as I said before my daughter has been going there for over two decades, she cooks, does gardening, paints and does a lot of various activities, this week alone she was taken out on the train at Ryde..all these outings and activities suit her and gives her something to do which is outside the home and makes her feel useful. She also loves the staff who are wonderful.
Finally..what do you know of sorrow, you who have never had a damaged child. Believe me it is easy to ponificate from an outsiders viewpoint but walk a mile in my shoes and then tell me how you feel.
I spearheaded the last campaign and will do so again but please don`t tell me what my daughter and others like her want!
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firstly, you dont know who I am and have no idea what my personal circumstances are so please dont speculate on them. Please dont ask me about them either, its none of your buisness.
secondly, i dont beleive i have told you or your daughter what she wants, or anyone like her. Ive simply mentioned what is happening and that more than likely you will have to like it or lump it.
Thirdly, good luck. If you are able to spearhead a campaign to keep this centre open then good for you. If you get the support you need then well done. But I dont beleive you will succeed if you are at the head of a vocal minority. If the majority of service users support you you may get somewhere, but I dont beleive the majority will. Some will be in favour of personal budgets, others will wonder what the point is of opposing something that will likely happen anyway.
And finally, who says the ex member of staff is disgruntled? He or she certainly doesnt, and it can hardly be assumed from their comment. They do not say that the centre is a total desaster, they say the staff try their best. Hardly the comments of a disgruntled person.
I hope your daughter is able to continue going to the centre, but there are other things to do if the centre does close, and lots of people will be in the same boat. You should all get together and tell this to the council, not VB. Start with a petition maybe. But dont be surprised if they dont listen to a word of it.
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I would add that I beleive the councils use of the Standards board IS malicious
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Dont bother to feed him further Hazel, the compassionate amongst us support and admire you for not being willing to just roll over and accept being victims. He will twist your words as he tried to with mine, I never said the council were trying to deliberately harm anybody just that they have closed their minds to the harm their decisions cause and couldn’t care less. Because of apathetic defeatism like his they are able to get away with it.
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Just in case anyone missed my previous message…
“”” WEDNESDAY 23 JUNE 9AM – 3PM AT NEWPORT FOOTBALL CLUB””””
IWC are holding a day where people can listen to what they have to say about the closures!!!
Users of services and carers are invited….. PREPARE to go in force! My Son has attended Medina for 22 years, 5 days a week… He is crying over this… we have to do something…. lets raise our voices!
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I would like to comment here as a previous worker at MC: Medina Centre is a tired place in need of a lot of money spent on it. The clients are not stimulated as much as you would have belive, and although the staff do their best, it is time for pastures new.Good luck with the personal budgets, its working for lots of people so lets work with it, as apposed to against it. Less painful, because otherwise it is forced upon you with no choice at all.
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Of course they won`t listen to a word and of course I will lose because the council is only interested in saving money, and for those who do not walk in our shoes how can they understand how angry and bitter we feel so naturally they will not understand…I wish I could make you and others like you see that I am fighting for someone who cannot speak for herself, who has an iq of 50 and will not comprehend why she is losing what is so important to her and what she has come to rely on…she has so little of course as her Mother I am angry that what little she has should be taken away, and if you do not understand then I know all those other parents and carers will.And of course your arguments will be those of the council…
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Intentionally Blank is probably right that the council aren’t (intentionally) malicious.
However they are very good at looking after themselves, which has the same net effect.
The council cuts always come from the core services rather than the top. Buildings, businesses or social structures need solid foundations, and chipping away at the bottom will always make the whole lot unstable.
We don’t often hear of pay cuts for senior management as an aid to budget deficits or cost reduction? (except the much publicised Steve Benyon’s, and I’m not talking about councilors, but non elected salaried senior management)
The last cuts announced saved £23K, which is a drop in the ocean of the council budget compared to the £2.7 million minimum wage bill of those being paid £50K or more.
As usual with politicians and councils we do not get value for OUR money.
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Quite frankly there is no point in trying to explain your feelings to those who have no understanding of your situation, hopefully there will be a large turn out of concerned carers on the 23rd and we will try and put our feelings over, but truly what is really being said is “You can have a personal budget to choose what you want to do providing what you want to do is convenient to us” So no real choice then!!
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I would just like to add (Although I may be lynched)! That having left the Medina centre I have been fortunate to be involved with a number of families who I have helped to support to go onto personal budgets. The budgets are a lower amount than the traditional services, but as someone pointed out earlier (It may have been me in haste) honestly, people dont want “Traditional services” they want something new and exciting.
I am sorry to say this Hazel, but I feel you are fighting this cause for your own benefit as apposed to your daughters. It is far easier to send someone to a “Day service where we have been for 25 years” than it is to look at developing new friendships, ideas and a new life.
Before you vent your fury, yes, I do have people that I support with IQ’s of 50 so I know that they love the new opportunities and are having a wonderful time exploring the “Outside” world.
Day Centres are to 2010 what Institutions were to 1970… time to leave and close the doors!
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I second that Half Way There! Well said!!!!
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I agree with what you say there, but there will be people that wont. Still, at least they cant say you dont know what your talking about. I suspect you may know more about this subject than a lot of people. Unfortunately rather than people agreeing to disagree with you, I suspect you will get lynched as you put it… Perhaps we will get a pleasent surprise and rather than ripping into you, people will say fair point, but they disagree.
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I have no fury to vent, you are entitled to your opinion, I have no problem with my daughter staying at home with me seven days a week, it makes no difference to me at all, so it isn`t a case of it being easier to send her to a day centre, my concern is knowing how happy she is at Medina, and my not having any idea what I can offer her in return to entertain her, I do have a home to run and other children to care for and with the best will in the world cannot take her out in search of new adventures etc etc three days a week, I will be interested to know what else she can be offered but must add she has severe behavioural problems and must be escorted and supervised at all times, my fight has always been about getting her the very best I can.
She is now nearly forty four years of age and I sometimes feel I have spent nearly all those years fighting for her one way and another and frankly I am weary.
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Incidntally “Halfway there” the staff at Medina I am sure will wonder who you could possibly be as indeed am I….After twenty four years I must have met you…intriguing…I must add that everyone involved with the center has nothing but praise for the work done, you are a lone voice indeed..Oh and by the way at last nights meeting I was horrified to learn of the paltry sums some are being offered to buy in these so called services, and must add the people there representing the council didn`t seem to have a clue what these services might be and refused to enlighten us in spite of repeated requests for information…roll on tomorrows meeting at the St Georges football club when maybe we may get some accurate information…Well we can but go down fighting…. the meeting last night was packed with people standing and none of them happy!
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I do admire your optomism IB! :-) (Spelling!)
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Fair point,but I disagree…care is not one thing or another,it is a combined service…Try new things by all means, but preceed them with proper discussion and advice rather than simply announcing withdrawl of support…yet again the council have handled it very badly ( and I wouldn’t be surprised if they backtracked..they very often do once they have already spread fear)
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SAVE DAY SERVICES ON IOW FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES!
JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK TO SAVE DAY SERVICES ON IOW FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES!
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I attended the meeting at Medina Centre tonight, it was packed with parents and carers pretty much saying what I have been saying…no answers as such but the plan is to close Medina next Spring and to use Meadowbrook for those with special needs but alas can only take 25 so the rest will be out in the cold, lots of questions, very few answers, personal budgets were discussed at great length, one lady is only being offered £25 per week difficult to know what she is supposed to do with that to provide all these new adventures and exciting plans to make new friends spoken of..and she was not alone!
We asked why we couldn`t have a day centre for those who chose to use their budget on this but no real answer, points made over and over about those with autism who take a long time to adapt to new ventures..ditto to that also…most important although the personal budget is being blamed by the council for the change it was pointed out day care centres are not being closed down all over the country just here on the island, it was also brought up if the three and a half million the site is worth had anything to do with the councils decision to close the centre and their spokesman denied all knowledge of this.
Next meeting in on Wednesday when maybe some answers might be given..then again…maybe not.
I have no problem with the personal budget but would like my daughter to be able to choose to continue at the day centre if this is what she wants and happily will give them all the money to achieve this…to which they said basically it is not enough.
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Don’t know anything about the value…except it was a councilvaluation.
How about the supposes 100 people who aren’t going to qualify for any personal budget that the council are making excuses for ignoring.
Personal budgets… great if its a level playing field and I agree they should be means tested…but they have to have socialising facilities to spend it on that won’t cost twice the average personal budget.
Its a Tory hatchet job…better get used to it…much more to come. The deficit will be used as an excuse to Torify the country.
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We have a broker for our Son and he is very good, been most helpful and has arranged everything from the initial assessment to finding us services. Ok we dont use day services, but my Son has been helped by the broker to look at a few new ideas. Perhaps you ought to talk to a broker? Just an idea.
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Hello to everyone, just thought I would add something. We are involved with a couple of brokers from our organisation (A provider on the Island) there seems to be a good team of them, so be careful not to shoot the messenger because they are there to help and they have done a good job with our service users. Does anyone know where to go to find one? If not I could ask them to add a few words on here? Also, we have lots of new day activities starting up, so happy to share them as well (Not touting for business, just trying to help)
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Thank you Paula, I am open to anything but will be going to the meeting tomorrow, my biggest concern is how to explain to my daughter why she can`t go to “work” at Medina with all her friends, still I have till next Spring…..no point in telling her now as she has no sense of time and will think I mean tomorrow!
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http://www.choiceforum.org
Day services are closing “Nationally” Hazel, this isnt something the Isle of Wight dreamt up! Follow the link which will show you the furore across the UK at the day services closures!
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Well several comments were made last night that other day centres on the mainland were horrified at what was happening here on the island as they have been told personal budgets can fund day centres..I believe Derbyshire was one of those mentioned but did`nt really take in exactly where the others were.
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My wife has been informed that as a parent of 2 adult disabled children she will not be allowed to attend wednesdays meeting as it is over subscribed, I wonder why!
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I would imagine John that after last night they are worried we might start a riot!
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Cant you just turn up????? I have told everyone to come, and they certainly cant police it on the door!!! I couldnt get to last nights meeting and I cant seem to find a summary of it on VB… anyone help??
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I did write about it in an earlier blog if it helps, not an official summary of course.
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I won’t go into great lengths about my circumstances on here but just to say Hazel you are not a lone voice and I will help you fight to keep this centre open .I think and this is purely a personal opinion our best bet is to try to convince the council that we need a day centre funded by social services so that we can go on personal budgets and they should be adequate enough to fund day services and maybe the centre could act as a base for all on budgets who need a base to access other activities from .See you at the meeting tommorow.
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You bet!
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Hi Paula, it is good to know you have a broker. I also have a broker (And an advocate) for my daughter and they have seen us through the very tough transition from services to personal budgets but we are settled and happy in the knowledge that the brokers there is we need her. Funny thing is that 6 months ago I was feeling like Hazel (Above) but life has settled down for us, my daughter is happy and has more input from her broker than she ever gets from her care manager! I am in support of personal budgets and very happy to help others if it helps!
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IWCC meeting at St Georges football club was held today, a great deal was explained about personal budgets and a video shown of those extolling the virtue of personal budgets. The atmosphere was friendly and the general impression I got was that everyone was trying to be helpful, at my table at discussion time the general view was that a day centre was needed for those who were not able to access some of the activities shown due to their special needs, it was said that this was a reasonble request and maybe something that might be accessed from the private sector.
Most at my table thought we should have been given the opportunity to speak during the morning rather than put our questions into a box to be answered at a later date, unfortunately I had to leave at midday as I had to attend a review meeting regarding one of my foster children so I do not know if these questions were dealt with later, I should be interested to hear what else took place from any blogger who was able to stay till the end. What was nice was to hear that the meeting was brought about by the adverse publicity during our protests at the cuts to the saving vulnerable people cuts, it is nice to think someone out there is listening but watch this space aye!
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Hazel Wyld you are in danger of isolating yourself completly. PLEASE try and and least read some of the positive feedback above without ignoring it and running off on your one woman crucade!
I think you will eventually become a lone voice with no audience! As for having a dig at the person who used to work at the Medina Centre… we had to laugh!!! :-D
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I couldn`t care less about isolating myself, and far from being a one woman crusade I have a great deal of support from other carers and receive many emails etc, I am just more vocal than most!!
Some do not like to make a fuss, others are just bewildered by what is going on and we all need to help each other by doing our bit.
As for the “Ex member of staff” I am always sceptical of comments made by people who will not identify themselves, anyway I have no issue with the personal budgets and think for some they will work well, my issue is about closing a much needed day center without offering a replacement for those of us whose children will not be capable of doing the kind of activities on offer.
I do not ask or expect to be popular!!
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Staff know exactly who I am Hazel. They dont all hold your opinion actually, although that is what you would like to consider. Times are changing and I think you will miss the boat if you keep whinging without putting effort into doing something more constructive with your time. HWT.
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Really! When I quoted your comments they all seemed quite shocked…if you knew what you were talking about you would know that I am far from whinging, just speaking out for my child and others to get a fair deal, always open to discussion but don`t think this new scheme suits all due to various needs, had constructive talks however where council etc did take on our point of view so hopefully we are making progress.
How do we know you are indeed who you say you are and not someone pretending to be an ex staff member, this is not an accusation just a comment, you will note I always put my name to my views, of course everyone is entitled to hide their identity but sometimes if we hope to make a statement of experience it is better to reveal oneself. I do not dispute Medina is old and tired but just feel if it is to be closed then we must be offered an alternative day center for those who need it, not unreasonable and by the way if I was just concerned for myself as earlier suggested I would have put my daugher into residential care long ago, they tell me when she is at day centre she requires six members of staff to work with her on a one to one basis for the three days she is there..I will continue to look after her until I am no longer capable but I will also continue to fight for her to have the best help she can get to enable her to have a social and varied life. If, as you say you once worked at the center you should understand where I am coming from rather than make derogatory comments.
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Maybe the time has come for me to withdraw from Ventnor blog, I have tried to get what is happening out there to gain support for our need for a day center but if I am now doing more harm than good than I will concentrate on other methods, I certainly would not want to think I alienated people by climbing on my soap box, that won`nt help my daugher or the others.
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Don’t let the comment of one person (out of the thousands that read this site every week) put you off Hazel. A lot of people get benefit of reading your comments and take strength from your determination to protect the vulnerable.
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A public Forum is a soap box…you have as much right as anybody else to voice YOUR fears (within the owners parameters) and as someone who will be directly affected by the changes your opinion is worth more than most
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I second everything said above. I am sure that the council and the NHS read this site regularly. After all, it’s a great way for them to gauge public opinion, so don’t give up voicing your worries and views Hazel. As is said above, I am sure that your posts have been inspirational for some who don’t know what to do or where to turn to, so keep on posting and don’t give up.
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Yes we do know who you are!
You have never been employed by the NHS, but came in from an outside agency for 1 session a week for a short while, which unfortunatley you didn’t seem to enjoy… but your 1-1 client seemed to love!
Sadly “s” you have deprived your client of a session he really enjoyed.
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The truth always finds a way
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I agree Hazel, don’t stop blogging……..
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i agree that everyone should be able to give their opinion on here, it should be open to all. But I do feel Hazel might be on a hiding to nothing, and as Ive said before, in the long run closing day centres might not be the worse thing on earth, and what is right for the majority of users should be done. Best of luck with your campaign but dont pin your hopes on it.
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Hazel, I think I may have been sitting on your table at the meeting on Wednesday and I have nothing but respect for your courage and convictions.
I did stay to the end of the meeting and although some people seem to be in favour of personal budgets, I think they may be surprised to learn that the budgets will be reduced year upon year until they are practically non existent.
In fact, I was reliably informed that one of the adults with a learning disability used in the promotional DVD was informed recently that his personal budget has now been slashed this year, so in fact – he now will not be enjoying all those activities he participated in in the DVD!! The local authority is blaming the government for their actions, saying they are folllowing the ‘Personalisation agenda’ however, many many other local authorities are continuing with day services, but are committed to improving and updating these services rather than decimating them!! Our local authority is merely acting for financial reasons – no other
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I really appreciated the comments and thank you.
At the risk of being boring can I once again say I have no problem with the personal budgets as presented, though the news they may be cut is worrying, my concern if for those who use a day center who need continual care, those who either through physical impairment or severe autism or behavioural problems who simply can`t do all the
suggested activities, I believe strongly that the council has a duty of care and if they say the Medina Center is no longer fit for purpose than they need to provide alternative care for those who rely on it due to the above conditions, not simply leave them out of the equasion!
Now it was said round our table by Suzanne Wixey that it was possible a day care center might be provided from the private section, for many of the users the day center is their only outlet for social activites and they have come to rely on it.
Horse riding, ice skating and all the other splendid activities mentioned in the Council dvd is not an option for them!
We need to continue to lobby for a day center to which all who need it may go.
I also know that when I was offered a sum of money which was not sufficient for my daughter to use the center I had no idea that the center was closing, I just thought we would not be able to pay enough for her to go there, like the parents mentioned in the county press who came out of the Monday meeting in tears, the news the center was to close came as a shock.
The invitation all parents and carers received said that in view of the rumours we were invited to come along so they could re-assure us. Nothing we heard reassured us I can tell you and the most common complaint was that we had all been kept in the dark and none of us were told what plans would be in place when the center closed, On Wednesday we were told 30% of all users would have a personal budget by next spring.
Now I am the first to admit that arithmetic is not my strong point but even I can see that means 70% of us won`t!! So what happends to the 70%?
This is what we are all trying to get over…our concerns, not whinging but real concerns.
Can I just say I could spend all day listing my faults but I do believe in standing up to be counted, mind you often the count is one!!
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DP i know the dvd your on about and yes his personal budget has been cut, by a large amount from my understanding, it’s such a shame that the general public believe all that is being told and that personal budgets are good, the bit i really love is the fact that people have a ‘choice’ as to wether they want a personal budget or not, a care manager informed me of the ‘choice’ this week and the choice is, have the personal budget or have ALL your funding stopped!!!! i think that is a fabulous choice!!! hazel if your reading this keep going, you have plenty on your side.
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Yes I was reading! Occured to me that with te council plan to close all these middle schools what about using one of them as a day centre? Kitteridge has had thousands of pounds spent on updating it and now appears to be closing, have not commentated on Meadowbrook as not sure how this can work, both Medina and Meadowbrook I was told were oversubscribed, even if an extension is built not sure if it would work but will reserve judgement.
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Hi Hazel, Sue and other parents / care providers / medina workers affected. We are interested in finding out more about these cuts. Could you please contact me asap – joanna.kent@bbc.co.uk.
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Imagine… you are aged between 20 and 60 and you are learning disabled. This means that you might not be able to talk, if you can then you can’t go anywhere without someone to take you because you have no understanding of the dangers of crossing the road or falling off anywhere of any height. You might have impaired balance, be blind and/or deaf or have a hearing impairment. You might not be aware of when you have to take yourself to the toilet. so you have to wear a pad and have someone (person or persons depending on how able and heavy you are) to help you change it. You can’t feed yourself or if you can you must use a spoon and you food must be chopped up for you so you don’t choke because your chew and swallow reflexes aren’t that great.
On top of all these physical needs you might have behavioral issues that are exhausting to your carers, you might explode in a self harming rage if you are not comfortable with what is going on around you because you feel threatened, or you might be so quiet that someone could easily miss the subtle signals you’re giving out because you are in pain/ hungry/ thirsty.
But there is relief at hand, you go to this place sometimes 1/2 a day sometimes 5 days a week (depending on your needs) where people like you are there. You know the routine and so you feel at ease. Your carers know you really well so know when you need to eat, drink, take you to the toilet. They get you out and about, sometimes all day and it is safe. you can get on with your favorite hobbies. You can socialise with your peers and feel a part of a community.
To you this place is like going to work. It gives you purpose and comfort and it doesn’t matter if your having a bad day, the staff know you so well that they can give you all that you need.
Now the system is changing and personal budgets are coming into place it will be fine for SOME of the clientele who go to medina centre. in fact it will be a better system with more choices. BUT for the people who want to choose to go to a day centre such as this they will have no choice. Some of the learning disabled deal very badly with change and their routine is their lifeline to a stable and happy day to day existence.
Who of the people who read this would like to be stuck at home all day… with the same people or stuck at home with your elderly parents who struggle to get you up stairs at night, or find the time to do the shopping because they are caring for you all day? I’m 30 and I’m certain that stability and sociableness keep me sane. I enjoy going to work even if it is hard work because it gives me structure to build the rest of my life around. I like choosing for myself. These people don’t have the voice to choose. And soon they will have no where to go either.
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