CAMPAIGN CALLS ON PRINCE FOR HELP
Kniveden Project is facing the axe
A HEALTH campaign group has called for help from the future King to help stop the closure of a Moorlands project which supports people with mental health issues.
Leek Health Campaign Group have written to the Duke of Cambridge for support to keep open the Kniveden Partnership project in Leek.
The project includes horticulture and landscaping, pottery, woodworking, and jewellery making.
The letter by chairman of the group, Pam Wood, said: “We write to seek your support in raising awareness of the critical role of the Kniveden Partnership centre at Leek, which provides occupational therapy vocational rehabilitation services for people with a broad range of mental health needs.
“There are 67 service users from Stoke-on-trent and the Staffordshire Moorlands area, who attend two or three days a week, for whom this is an essential lifeline - and there is a waiting list. Activities include horticulture, woodland conservation, woodwork and pottery, and art, crafts and jewellery making.
“It is well known that Staffordshire County Council, who own the site, have agreed to the future long term use of the site for housing. However, recently, with no warning, service users received letters from the Trust’s CEO Peter Axon announcing the site facilities were closing abruptly, with no provision for continuity of services elsewhere.
“Leek Health Campaign Group has been contacted by a number of service users and their carers who are extremely upset and distressed by this news for whom the services are a lifeline helping them manage their lives day-to-day. “Their accounts tell of their reliance on the occupational therapy support provided, and the impact this has in helping them manage their mental health and well-being: they say staff are professional and caring and attentive to the individual’s needs.
“Many clients suffer extreme anxiety and depression, a lack of confidence and not being able to function properly, and low esteem and a sense of feeling worthless: for some others life no longer has any meaning. Other cases include bipolar disorder, paranoia and self-harming.
“While some conditions are congenital, many are the result of stress at work or accidents where the person has to give up work. People come from all walks of life: a former trainee army officer, the teaching profession, the police service, from industry, a former funeral director and many other sectors.
“Despite the frequent telephone calls from the Kniveden staff, clients’ mental health and well-being has suffered during lock-down, and is exacerbated by the news from Combined Healthcare Trust that Kniveden is not reopening.
“People say their mental health has been suffering greatly, and with the uncertainty are now suffering major anxiety; in one person’s words: my depression has become worse and reared its ugly head again, the only people I could talk to about it were my Kniveden family; another says: social isolation has not been a new problem, rather it is a familiar demon I have struggled with for a long time; another pleaded: is there someone in the Trust who is able to throw an olive branch towards this sinking sand to allow 67 people some hope to cling on, tormented souls behind locked doors; and another who is clearly extremely distressed says: our safe haven and much needed occupational therapy is at stake. I’m actually begging whoever reads this letter, please save us!
“The services provided at the Kniveden centre are of critical importance to its current users, and this need is increasing for many other people: yet it appears they are undervalued by the Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. This is in spite of the Trust having a vision “to be outstanding in all we do”. We sense the Trust is acting speedily to shut down the Kniveden site and its services and feel we must act as quickly as we can.
“We hope that you will be able to help to raise awareness of the critical importance of the Kniveden Partnership services.”
County and district councillor, Charlotte Atkins, who first highlighted that the project could close, said that the county and district councils both “wanted to cash in on the site by building executive homes on it”.
She said: “I am appalled at the prospect of the Kniveden Partnership closing as implied by the chief executive of the Combined Mental Health Services NHS Trust. He blames local councils for deciding to run their own social care services, for the decision to pull out of the project, which is used by more than sixty clients.
“The hypocrisy of the North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare
NHS Trust in closing Leek’s much needed Kniveden Mental Health Partnership knows no bounds. On July 6 this year, their chief executive officer Peter Axon appeared in front of the county council’s virtual Healthy Staffordshire Scrutiny Committee, of which I am vice chair, and boasted that no mental health services had closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Yet, just two months later, that is the excuse they are using to close down this mental health project. They know that the staff who run the project have put in place all the necessary social distancing procedures. All that is missing is a manager to sign off the arrangements but they refuse to allow a manager to do so.
“He told the committee too that extra capacity was being implemented to deal with the likely increase in demand for mental health services as a result of Covid-19. Tell that to the Kniveden Partnership clients, who are being denied this vital lifeline for their mental health!
“To add insult to injury, Combined Healthcare bosses have never even bothered to visit this remarkable haven, this client centred mental health provision which has literally saved lives.
“The county council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council want to cash in on the site by building executive homes on it. Combined Healthcare just seem to want to wash their hands of this longstanding project.”
A letter to clients from Peter Axon, chief executive of North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare, said: “It is with regret that you have seen an article indicating that Staffordshire Local Authority has an intention to change the use of their Mount Road site that incorporates Kniveden.
“In addition to this Staffordshire and Stoke Local Authorities have made the decision to deliver social care themselves and as a result of this, as a Trust, are no longer in a position to undertake this function. As a consequence of this, it also means that our licence, issued by Care Quality Commission has been amended removing the authority to provide this service
“I do understand that this will have been distressing for you to read and would like to take this opportunity to provide you with reassurance that as a Trust, we will do all that we can to support your curent and future individual health needs.
“I am sorry that this change comes during such a difficult time because of the pandemic, and can only assure you that every effort is being made to provide you with support and I am grateful for your understanding.”
The Post & Times has contacted Combined Healthcare NHS Trust for a response on the issue, but no one has been available to comment.