Day centre users to be asked for their views as part of council review

People who use day centres in Caerphilly County Borough will be asked for their views as part of a full council review of services.

Consultants Hugh Irwin Associates, known as HiCo, have been commissioned by the council to undertake the “values-based” review.

All those who attend day centres, including their families and carers will be contacted.

On Tuesday, July 26, the council’s social services scrutiny committee was told that nearly 400 people could take part in the review.

But three Plaid Cymru councillors – Cllr Steve Skivens, Cllr Charlotte Bishop and Cllr Donna Cushing – all said they had been contacted by residents who had not received any communication from HiCo.

A council officer urged anyone who hadn’t been contacted to make themselves known by contacting the council.

Carers and those who attend day centres will be interviewed on their experience of the service as part of the review – in addition to councillors, officers, and stakeholders.

At the meeting, Blackwood councillor Kevin Etheridge questioned why service users were to be questioned separately – without their carers.

Cllr Etheridge, who originally called for the service review, said: “Some have got major complex needs. If their carers are not with them they might feel under pressure.”

Martin Powell, HiCo’s project manager of the review, said they wanted to see service users separately with the aim of achieving an “accurate sense of operations”.

Focus groups with carers and service users will be held throughout August:

• August 12 – New Tredegar.
• August 18 – Caerphilly.
• August 19 – Newbridge.

Mr Powell said: “We’re not here with any magic answers, we are here to facilitate communication.”

The findings of the review will be presented to the scrutiny committee in a meeting at the end of September.

A previous public consultation on day centres – organised by the council – was branded as “insulting” by carers.

Day centres have been an ongoing concern over the past year with service users and carers calling on the council to re-open day centres to pre-pandemic opening hours.

Day centres were operating on a limited basis due to Covid restrictions.

A petition organised by carers received more than 1,200 signatures, with some describing the reduction in day care hours as “cruel” because restrictions had lessened for most people.

In November 2021, the council rejected a notice of motion put forward by the Plaid Cymru group to re-open the day centres.

Plaid Cymru also included the pledge to re-open day centres as part of its manifesto in this year’s council elections.