‘We're not going to let this go’: Families 'distraught' as day centre recommended for closure

The families of people with profound special needs are ‘distraught and dumbfounded’ after Buckinghamshire council recommended a much-valued day service be marked for closure.

Burnham Short Breaks day service supports people with autism, complex needs, learning and physical disabilities – but Bucks council has been considering closing it.

Campaigners, especially the families of those attending, have been pushing back against the idea firmly since it was first floated.

There have been several well-attended rallies, and a petition to keep Burnham Short Breaks open fetched more than 2,800 signatures.

Nonetheless, following a 15-week public consultation, officers of Bucks council have recommended that its cabinet vote to shut the service down and sell off the building.

The council expects that selling the Burnham Short Breaks building and one other day centre in Bucks will bring in about £1.7million.

Any money it gets will be used to top up the capital contingency fund – money kept aside for unexpected or urgent costs.

In addition, the change is expected to produce a yearly saving of £1.08million by 2028/2029 – ‘vital’ in the face of an ‘increasingly challenging’ financial climate for the council, say officers.

In their report, officers wrote: “Our current service model is unsustainable and outdated.”

They said there is an ‘overreliance’ on people having to visit a specific building to receive support.

They claim these building-based services are ‘underutilised’ and that service users and their families are increasingly choosing activities in the community instead.

However, Hazel Howe – mother of Thomas, who goes to Burnham Short Breaks regularly – remains staunchly convinced the whole idea is ‘wrong’.

She is among those who have forcefully campaigned to keep the service going.

Hazel believes the ‘fantastic’ day centre is simply not replaceable, thanks to its location, easy access, excellent facilities and knowledgeable and caring staff.

Upon hearing news of the officers’ recommendation, she said families were ‘absolutely distraught’ and ‘cannot believe it’.

“We’ve all been in tears, and I’ve been up all night,” Hazel told the Advertiser on Tuesday. “We’re absolutely dumbfounded. Families are angry and we aren’t going to let this drop.

“We are prepared to go all the way to judicial review [to stop] this if we have to.”

Hazel continued: “We know what’s best for [our loved ones]. We know when they’re cared for. We could lose the staff that know our loved ones and have cared for them for years.

“Our loved ones deserve that service. We’re talking about the most vulnerable people in our community.”

Hazel also decried the ‘insensitivity’ of how Bucks council has handled the matter, saying families were supposed to be contacted in advance of public announcements, but weren’t.

“We had to find out from the public last night [Monday], which was absolutely awful,” she said.

Beaconsfield MP Joy Morrissey has also long been against the Short Breaks closure. She said she is ‘disappointed’ by the officers’ recommendation.

“This proposal is the wrong course of action,” she said.

“I have requested an urgent meeting with both the leader of the council and the cabinet member responsible, and I will be meeting with affected families and local councillors to explore every possible alternative.”

A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire Council said: “The changes being put forward will ensure that we have the right balance of different types of services delivered in our communities.

“This includes providing high quality building-based facilities in the right places for the smaller cohort of adults with complex needs for whom building-based care is essential.

“The new proposals support our vision for empowering adults to live their best lives in their communities.”

The cabinet vote is set for next Tuesday, September 9.