Adamsdown Liberal Democrat Focus Team

• Close 11 of the existing centres and offices.
• Open a new centre for the 309 staff currently based in these 11 buildings in a building currently known as Celtic Gateway.
• Retain the centres that which provide good quality access to service users in the most outlying parts of the City. These would include the Family Centres in Llanedeyrn, St Mellons and Ely.

The Council intends to relocate the small number of service user facilities in some of these buildings. In particular it recognises the value of the Day Service provided by the Alzheimers Disease Society at Heol Don and has opened discussions with them to ensure that suitable alternative accommodation is found. It also intends keeping the multi-agency team providing services for older people with a mental health problem at Heol Don in North Cardiff rather than moving the service to the new location.

There are several compelling reasons for doing this. The Joint Review noted that many offices ‘are poorly situated and/or unsuitable for purpose with the attendant costs of inefficiency and maintenance.’ Additionally, many of them were opened in the 1980s under a decentralisation strategy. But since the service was decentralised it has been restructured. Most of the services provided from these buildings are no longer local, few of the buildings now provide much access for service users, they are costly to run and will become even more so.

None of the buildings that we propose to close were designed for social care use. In the main, they are Victorian family houses and their maintenance costs are high. Most do not meet disability access standards and it would cost a great deal of money to carry out the work that would be required to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). There are also problems providing a safe environment for staff in reception and interviewing. Again, this would cost a great deal to put right.

The move would allow Disabled Discrimination Act budgets and Health and Safety budgets to be focused on the 12 remaining buildings that will continue in use, so as to improve conditions for staff and service users there.

The building is well served by main roads and is next to Willcox House, to which Housing, Advice and Benefits Services are currently moving staff. This will provide opportunities for sharing facilities such as courier services, reception, meeting rooms, car parking and facilities management. The building itself is of a high standard and the costs of renting it are competitive

Cllr John Dixon, Executive Member, Health, Social Care & Well Being said: “These proposals are part of a new vision for the improving our service delivery. Implementation of a new computer system, developing high quality local access points strategically placed across the City and using the latest technology with links to C2C, will help services to be delivered efficiently and effectively at all levels. This integrated package of developments will result in a quicker and better response to enquiries and a planned and careful response to people’s needs.“