Please don’t close centres ...I want my sons to have a brighter future

Mother’s plea as charity plans to cut support

A Renfrewshire activist fears for her disabled sons’ future following news of the closure of vital support centres.

Sandra Webster, former national spokesperson for the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and a member of the Renfrewshire branch, has voiced major concerns after charity Capability Scotland announced it will stop services at bases in Paisley and Johnstone from October.

It could mean an end to learning disability day services at Whitehaugh, in Glasgow Road, Paisley and West Lane Gardens, in Johnstone, negatively impacting dozens of vulnerable users and their carers.

Around 20 members of staff are employed across both centres, which offer users educational and leisure activities.

Charity chiefs claim they can no longer subsidise the services, despite repeated efforts to find a solution with council chiefs.

Sandra, whose sons Callum, 13, and Lucas, 16, both have rare genetic disorders and autism, says she has major concerns over the impact cuts will have on both her sons’ futures.

“My sons are in their teens and there’s nothing out there for them. There’s a real shortage of day care services,” she claimed.

“I’ve seen how much cuts have affected people and families and the closure of Capability Scotland services is of huge concern to people with disabilities and their carers.

“My sons are moving into adulthood and I worry about their future.

“There is already such little respite for them.”

Sandra says declining services are a result of the government taking a step back in recent years.

She explained: “Respite services for young people have been cut suddenly in the past and it’s because the government hasn’t been involved hands-on.

“Why are more and more charities being asked to do the work that authorities need to do?

“Council roles have been taken over by charities to save money in Renfrewshire, the charity should be operating as an extra service.

Self- directed support is being encouraged in the face of closures, giving service users the opportunity to apply for a budget to fund the care that they need.

This operates by direct payments, a sum of money paid directly to the user from their local authority.

Sandra claimed the provision often falls short of covering costs, and that she also believes direct payments are being used by the government for the wrong reasons.

She added: “Direct payments from the government should be empowering but they are being used to make cuts.

“It should be about providing excellent services not about saving money.

“People are at the end of their tether already and it’s only going to get worse.”