The loss of access to Alderbrook Day Centre is having a devastating impact on the lives of the service users, their families have revealed.

For almost two years, the vast majority of people with learning difficulties and or autism who went there, often five days a week, have not been allowed to attend the facility on Buxton Road in Chinley due to the pandemic.

Now their families, who have seen a decline in their physical and mental health, are now urging Derbyshire County Council to ensure the provision is fully reopened as soon as possible as it is so important to service users.

More than 20 families have met with County Councillor Ruth George, who is helping to raise their concerns.

Annette Maddocks, from New Mills, whose twin brother Anthony Lee has attended Alderbrook five days a week for over 30 years, spoke to the Chronicle to provide an insight into the impact the loss of the service has had.

“He is very depressed and snapping at everyone he is missing all his friends,” said Annette.

“He spent more time there than at home, it was a major part of his life. He was absolutely distraught when he couldn’t go. He has epilepsy and it is causing him to have fits because he is distressed.”

Annette has failed to get answers as to when her brother will be able to return. She said even one day a week to see his friends would make a massive difference to his life.

“They just said there are no updates, everything is the same and nothing is changing for the foreseeable future.”

Anthony, 55, who has cerebral palsy, can’t see very well. He enjoyed the social aspect of his time at Alderbrook.

“It is his lifeline. He was heartbroken when he had to leave," Annette said. 

Anne Bairstow’s son Christian, 51, has been attending the site since he was five years old, first at the school before moving on to the adult centre next door.

Christian had a job in the woodworking department five days a week chopping sticks for firewood.

“He adored his job, and it is devastating," Anne said. "He has nothing hardly to do now and is spending most of his time in his bedroom and gets a bit withdrawn." 

Anne, from Simmondley, said the services provided at Alderbrook - which has rooms catering for crafts, music, woodwork, cooking, and even a garden centre offered qualifications in horticulture and experience in the shop - were vital to the service users and their families.

“Most parents are not getting any younger and we need more help not less," she said. 

“Christian needs his job back. What they have offered is piecemeal to work in a charity shop for a morning, he doesn’t want that.

“He used to love going to work and being part of a team and we just want it back.”

Garry Greenall, from Gamesley, whose brother Carl has a learning disability and used to attend Alderbrook, says his sibling asks about Alderbrook and the people there every day. 

"Carl thrives on socialising and mixing as people who know him will tell you," Garry said. "He has missed out on so much now it’s just on Zoom, as he and dad are not technology wise.

"It's heart-breaking having to lie to him and tell him he’ll be able to go back one day, in the hope it won't turn out to be bad news. He couldn’t cope if he thought he couldn’t go back to Alderbrook.

"My dad used to constantly ask what was happening with Alderbrook, and rarely got a reply, or felt he was being fobbed off when he did.

"The turning point for us was when Carl got totally frustrated and hysterical and wouldn’t let my dad or me near him, so the police had to come out.  Only then did social services get involved and Carl was eventually offered two days a week at Bright Opportunities in Buxton.

"It’s a good outlet for him, but there aren’t the facilities that Alderbrook has, and there’s no transport provided, so it’s almost a two hour round trip twice a day for my dad and that’s taking its toll on him, as he’s nearly 80.

"Many parents are elderly as well, and they are struggling and worried about the future if Alderbrook doesn’t open up fully again."

Garry says the families have felt "disregarded and forgotten about" for almost two years. 

He added: "Derbyshire County Council are not being clear with the parents, service users and their own staff - we all need assurance Alderbrook won't be closing and for how long we are being asked to suffer without it.

"It's totally unacceptable especially when schools, colleges and universities are back up running, including Peak School. If this was a mainstream school still closed to a vast majority of pupils there would be an uproar, it is disgusting what is happening.

"What with the stigma on mental health, everyone is or knows someone who is struggling like myself. At least I know and understand what has happened over the last two years, but for those like my brother with learning difficulties/disabilities who don’t understand why it’s happening, what they’re going through is ten times worse." 

The families feel that more could be done as the rooms at Alderbrook are spacious and social distancing for example could be easily maintained.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said limited numbers were being allowed on the site.  

“Each Day Service, including Alderbrook, has been assessed by our Health & Safety team to identify safe numbers of people in each room of the building which includes staffing.

“Day services have been working in bubbles in set areas so that only one bubble has to close in the event of a Covid outbreak, and this has been really effective in preventing the whole service from having to close down again.”

The spokesperson acknowledged that many service users had not been able to access the provision.

“While we had to allocate provision as fairly and equitably as possible to ensure those who need it most get support, we recognise the difficulty faced by carers and people who previously attended the day centres prior to the pandemic.”

“In Spring 2020, we established a team of Social Work practitioners to work alongside these service users with a learning disability and or autism.”

Adding that they have been exploring a range of opportunities to meet their social care needs – including increases to direct payments where people can purchase other types of support, referrals to community connector service and access to other day opportunities available in the private, independent and voluntary sector.

“Across Derbyshire 190 people are now accessing alternative opportunities, 111 people have chosen only to return to one of our day centres and 28 people have chosen to combine attending one of our day centres with alternative opportunities.

“Colleagues working within our day centres have been in regular communication with families and relatives are encouraged to speak to staff if they are experiencing difficulties.”

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