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Carers and parents of those who regularly use the Ystrad Mynach Day Centre say they feel “forgotten” by the council as opening hours remain limited.
The day centre gives adults with learning difficulties the chance to socialise and take part in activities such as gardening and singing.
Before the pandemic, the day centre was open between 9am and 4:30pm. Now, users are allocated a couple of hours a week for one-to-one sessions with a support worker.
Carers of adults who use the day centre believe they should be given the choice for the centre to return to its normal hours and activities now that Covid restrictions are lifting.
Jenna Szalkowski, 36, from Abertridwr, cares for her brother. She said: “The council seem to have forgotten about disabled people.”
Ms Szalkowski believes the council are using Covid as an excuse for not operating the day centre as it would before the pandemic.
Her brother, Gareth Szalkowski, has autism and a learning disability. He attended the day centre for many years and described the current situation as “very sad” and said he was “missing all my friends”.
In a council cabinet meeting, held on Wednesday, September 1, the council’s Director of Social Services, Dave Street, said the centre can’t operate as normal because it is a public building, therefore under government guidelines it must continue to enforce social distancing rules.
Mr Street said the council does not need to apologise for the community services that have been offered in place of the day centres.
A carer, who wished to remain anonymous, said the mental health of adults with learning disabilities in Caerphilly County Borough is suffering.
They said: “It’s like going back to the olden days, when they would be stuck in the house.
“Activities at the day centre were beneficial to its users – activities such as arts and crafts, gardening, singing. But the main aspect was the socialising – that was their time to socialise with their friends, which they are missing desperately.”
The carer said two hours a week with a support worker, which is what some adults with learning difficulties are currently receiving, is not enough.
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They added that parents and carers are under a lot of stress and need time to rest because of how demanding some individuals are.
Emma Lee, from Blackwood, cares for her 24-year-old son Bradley Scott-Lee, who was born with cerebral palsy, is registered blind and has autistic tendencies.
Ms Lee, 43, said she was “seriously considering” putting her son into supported living due to the lack of social care hours offered to her son.
Ms Lee, who works as a support worker, said it was “heartbreaking” to see the change in Bradley’s behaviour, which she says is down to his lack of socialising.
She said: “I don’t think their mental health has been taken into consideration. I don’t understand what’s changed for the council to think that people like Bradley don’t need as much support as they did before the pandemic.”
Ms Lee said it is hard to explain to her son why he can’t go to the day centre anymore as it is difficult for him to process.
A spokesperson for the council said it is “considering how to deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose day service, taking into consideration the challenges we have faced and lessons learnt prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic”.
The spokesperson added: “We aim to offer a day service which is more inclusive, does not rely on a fixed base and meets individual people’s needs more effectively in a greater variety of ways.
“The service will be expanded to operate seven days per week, provide increased opportunities for working and socialising in our communities and we will continue to offer support and activities in our day centres for those individuals with high physical support needs.
“It is important to note that each person that uses this service will be assessed to determine how their individual needs will be met now and in the future.”
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