With the anchor aweigh, the day care centre’s family is feeling all at sea. “The stress is awful,” said one parent. “You feel alone. I’ve done nothing but cry for the last month.”
Local Senedd Member Samuel Kurtz commented:
“The decision to close the Anchorage is deeply disappointing and upsetting for those who use the facility, a group of people who time and time again have been described as a ‘family’.
“I’ve raised this closure with the Welsh Government and was left disappointed with their lacklustre response on additional funding to the Council or on whether the Council were following the Welsh Government’s own guidelines.
“I’m yet to be convinced that the closure of the Anchorage was the only solution. However, every effort must be made to ensure service users are supported as new arrangements are made.”
The closure has to do with the condition of the building; a report shows that the council-owned Anchorage had a maintenance backlog of more than £400,000.
At the meeting, held at St John’s Community Hall, carers expressed their surprise that the council hasn’t bid for external funding to renovate or maintain the Anchorage. They can’t help thinking that there must be a hidden agenda.
Results from an FOI request asking dates of inspections of the Anchorage building since 2019 - and subsequent reports, should be available by November 1.
“They want the building, I’m sure,” said one, adding: “We can surmise a lot of things.” The council’s response to this is to say that the site will be managed by PCC Properties and will be considered as part of the Corporate Asset list.
“I feel we’ve been played like a salmon in a net,” said Peter. “But Cllr Alan Dennison has backed us all the way.”
Invited to comment on the closure, Cllr Dennison described it as “unnecessary” and said:
“I feel it’s important to extend my sincerest apologies to the users of the Anchorage and their carers. It is incumbent upon us to recognise and take responsibility for the failure to maintain the Anchorage building adequately, which regrettably will culminate in its abrupt closure on November 1”, he said.
“We cannot allow the oversight of our facilities to reach such a critical point again.
“Our users and tenants deserve spaces that nurture their well-being and support their needs. The neglect we have witnessed is unacceptable and contrasts sharply with our obligations as caretakers of community facilities.”
With respite care almost unobtainable and social worker involvement scarce, the picture already looks bleak for the parents and carers of people with learning disabilities and special needs. The council insists that the day centre cannot be kept open - even just for a couple of years until the South Quay development at Pembroke is completed - and it’s causing a massive amount of stress to the individuals concerned.
Hayley Wood said she would look into a Judicial Review, on the grounds that there had only been a token consultation and a change of services for attendees, with accessibility and personal care not properly considered. But fighting further to keep the Anchorage open presents a dilemma: “Would a stay of execution at this stage mess the clients up even more?”
The overriding spirit of the meeting was: “Shame on Pembrokeshire County Council for serving its own needs, not those of the community,” in response to an authority that seems intent to plough through with its own set agenda, regardless.
Councillor Dennison further commented: “Had the cabinet member in September 2019 stood firm and advocated for the necessary funding to be ringfenced specifically for the maintenance of the Anchorage, instead of supporting some £370k for an unused PCC space in Neyland Hub we could have avoided this disheartening scenario.”
The council’s plan is to provide service users free transport to Meadow Park, Haverfordwest, but carers are worried this arrangement wouldn’t take into account their special needs.
When asked about this, PCC gave the following reassurances: “Where an individual requires support to access transport safely, whether that be due to anxiety or a medical condition, a fully trained Support Worker will be present on the bus for the journey.”
They also said: “Historically, many service users from the Anchorage have made the bus journey to Haverfordwest to attend a vast array of opportunities at settings like the leisure centre and local dance studio.”
Amid many doubts and uncertainties about the way ahead, one question asked was: “Are Anchorage staff going to be kept on?” The council have assured us that “Anchorage staff will continue to support individuals from the Anchorage at new settings.”
When the day centre closes, this is only supposed to be a temporary break until South Quay opens, but the carers aren’t convinced. “We need something in writing.” We asked the council if Anchorage service users will be guaranteed provision at the new facility, and received a somewhat understated answer: “Day opportunities will be provided from South Quay.”
For those unable or unhappy to travel to Haverfordwest - and that appeared to be the vast majority of those represented at the meeting, there have been some attempts to provide alternatives nearby. For instance, the VC Gallery can accommodate a day session each Wednesday, from 9.30am to 3.30pm in a large room there, it has recently been confirmed.
However, some of the individuals being catered for have rather specialised needs, leading parents to wonder: “What’s going to happen with day-to-day care?” With complicated issues to address such as double incontinence, mobility aid requirements and the kind of autism where the slightest change of routine can upset the whole day, it’s not a straightforward matter to provide the same level of support when the central hub of care is removed.
The council’s answer to these concerns was the following:
“Accessibility of venues and access to specialist equipment, such as a hoist, to support all aspects of someone’s care is vital and has been considered throughout this process. Meadow Park in Haverfordwest offers an accessible purpose built facility with specialist equipment that will be suitable for all individuals.
“Community settings do present challenges with regards to specialist equipment and the ability to support all aspects of someone’s care due to the space and design of these facilities. We have undertaken assessments of these facilities and where suitable and practical we will make provision of equipment such as a hoist available for use. Centres have agreed to store the equipment during the week.
“Each of the centres has been assessed by trained individuals in relation to quietness and privacy. The services that are being offered in Pembroke Dock/Milford have been used by the people who use the Anchorage as part of their care packages so are familiar to them and to the care staff who will support them.”
“Community venues do have suitable short stay parking and drop off within close proximity,” they added, in response to carers noting the absence of free parking facilities at Pembroke Dock library, one of the venues under consideration.
Everyone at the meeting agreed that what’s most important to the people in their care is to be together and experience consistency. “What we need is a stable environment for people.”
According to Pembrokeshire County Council, all service users have been offered ‘taster days’ to familiarise themselves with a new setting like Meadow Park.
“All of the staff who work within the Anchorage are trained and very skilled in understanding the importance of routine and stable care for individuals” added a spokesperson for the council.
“As an organisation we are asking families to please work with the teams to agree a care plan that will support those needs; the Anchorage manager is available to support families and people who use the service along with a fully qualified social worker.”
The ‘unnecessary’ closure of the Anchorage is a let-down in a community that preaches inclusivity and prioritises mental health, yet leaves vulnerable adults with learning disabilities and their carers adrift in a sea of change.
Local MP Henry Tufnell had this to say:
“I fully understand and share the concerns surrounding the closure of the day centre and the broader issues in social care. We are not where we want to be on these issues, and I know the frustrations felt by families and individuals across Pembrokeshire.
“While it will take time to overcome these challenges, we are committed to working closely with Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government to find solutions. A key part of our efforts is to get the Pembrokeshire economy back on its feet, which is vital to ensuring that local services can be properly funded and supported. Together, we are determined to create a future where those in need receive the care and support they deserve.”