Beith to visit Amble Day Centre

11.30.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 30th Jun 2009

Following the public meeting held in Amble last week, Sir Alan Beith MP is to visit the Amble Day Centre on Friday to talk to service users and staff about the consultation on Northumberland County Council's future provision of adult social services.

Alan Beith said

"People who use the service in Amble or rely on it for respite care are very frightened and angry because they believe the service is to be closed. But I have been assured by Northumberland County Council and the Northumberland Care Trust that if people want to continue to use traditional day services, like the centre at Amble, they will be able to do so."

Alan Beith was not able to attend the public meeting in person but was represented and has been given a detailed report on the meeting and the questions asked by members of the public. He added

"What came across very clearly from the meeting is that people value the support they get through the Day Centre, particularly carers who need to know that the person they care for is safe and looked after to enable them to get a break. There are over 2000 people in Northumberland who need support during the day and I hope that the end result of this consultation will lead to a system that can help everyone, including the 350 or so people who use council-run services at present."

The consultation ends on 20 August and all the people who use day services provided by Northumberland County Council are being meet on a one-to-one basis to discuss their needs. Staff have also been consulted about the future of the services. Services provided by other organisations are not affected.