JOBS SAFE UNTIL MARCH
Workers now safe until 2017:
THE controversial closure of a centre for workers with learning difficulties which has been open for nearly 60 years has been postponed for a second time.
Mantons workshop near Caernarfon quayside was set to shut in April this year due to budget cuts, but that was shifted to the end of September.
Gwynedd council has now extended that to the end of March 2017 to allow more time to ensure the replacement provision meets the needs of workers at the centre.
It follows an outcry from the families of workers, who were first told in September last year the centre would close with staff moved elsewhere.
Wendy Campbell, 53, whose son Craig, 32, works at the centre, said: “The news is a welcome relief for the workers, as they can look forward to another Christmas and few months at the centre.
“Craig has worked there for 13 years. There are a lot of people who have worked there for 20 years, so he’s made good friends with them and it gives him a sense of purpose.
“The council are currently in talks with the workers and their families to try and get the best deal for them. I am going to continue fighting for my son and these workers to try and keep the centre open.”
Staff at the centre, which opened in 1957, perform a number of tasks in the community, including cutting grass for the elderly. They also make and sell bird boxes and recycle Christmas cards and are paid £15 a week.
A council spokesman said: “Gwynedd council’s learning disability services are being adapted to ensure person centred support and better outcomes for individuals.
“As a result of this, the council has decided to bring to an end its use of the Manton building in Caernarfon and to work closely with everyone who currently attends the building, along with their families, to establish what matters to each individual so that suitable support that fully meets their needs and aspirations can be put in place.
“We appreciate that any change of this kind can be difficult, and we believe that the additional time will allow suitable time to complete the individual reviews with the service users who currently attend the Manton building, along with their families.
“In the meantime, the council will continue to provide service users and their families with all the support that they need, and every effort will be made to make this time of change as smooth as possible.”