Mental health service saved
A VITAL mental health service for people in East Ayrshire has been saved after alternative funding was found.
The Morven Centre, also known as Morven Day Services, saw its funding cut by £195,000 following a review by the East Ayrshire health and social care partnership (EAHSCP).
The centre offers support to adults aged 18 and over who have mental health difficulties and live in the authority.
The service is based in several locations in East Ayrshire and its flexible support can help with emotional distress and mood disorders.
A petition set up by service user Cheryl Scott was signed by hundreds of people in just a few days, with supporters calling the decision “devastating”.
And while the integrated joint board (IJB) which oversees the work of the HSCP has declined to reverse the
decision, CrossReach, which runs the service, has confirmed that other funding has now been found.
A spokesperson said: “CrossReach is delighted to confirm that Morven will continue to deliver a full service in East Ayrshire.
“We have secured an alternative source of funding for the immediate future.
“We are very grateful for the support that the community has shown for Morven and we look forward to continuing to serve people in East Ayrshire.”
The recommendation to cut the centre’s funding was agreed by the IJB in December following a review of services in the area for people with a learning disability or mental health services.
The review, according to the HSCP, was carried out “to ensure that people are being appropriately supported to achieve their outcomes, and that money is being spent effectively”.
Meetings with service users were held in Cumnock and Kilmarnock, with the HSCP insisting that “alternative support is being identified”.
The cut to the centre’s funding was part of a package of savings agreed by the IJB totalling more than £4m.
Other savings included a reduced contract for respite services, saving £75,000, ending funding of £40,000 for suicide prevention training, and an increase of 10 per cent in the charges for day care and community alarms.
In addition, the HSCP plans to reduce staff hours and overtime and to stop providing cover for staff who are on maternity leave.