Final Decision For Anchorage

Final Decision For Anchorage

A final decision on changes to social care in Pembrokeshire, following hopes there could be a breathing space for Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage day centre, due to close in little over a month, is to be made later this week.

Last week, on September 23, a successful ‘call-in’ by Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy at an extraordinary meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s social care overview and scrutiny committee, was supported by fellow group members.

The county council is currently changing care provision for older adults and those with learning disabilities, with identified budget saving included in the 2024-’25 budget, and closure of Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage day care centre was agreed by senior councillors at the September 9 meeting of the council’s Cabinet, following the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, where members received a petition calling for the council to keep the centre open, with an impassioned plea by Peter Welsh for the centre to remain open.

Despite a plea at the July meeting by local councillors Tony Wilcox and Brian Hall to give the centre a breathing space ahead of a potential move to an as-yet-unbuilt facility at Pembroke’s South Quay development, the matter was brought to the September meeting of the council’s Cabinet, when its closure was backed “with effect from November 1, 2024,” along with, as part of wider changes in the service, establishing social enterprise models in Crymych’s Bro Preseli and Narberth’s Lee Davies Centre with effect from April 1, 2025.

The anchorage building is council owned while the other two are not.

After that Cabinet decision, the later ‘call-in’ asked for the decision to be referred back to Cabinet for further discussion on the social enterprise model, with a potential piloting in Bro Preseli, along with what bridging options could be considered for the Anchorage while awaiting the South Quay development.

A report ahead of Thursday’s special Cabinet meeting of October 3 says, in relation to the first part of the ‘call-in’: “The Day Centre provision in Crymych and Narberth will remain open under current SLAs until March 31, 2025. A social enterprise will be supported to engage with the local community, service users, their families, and other stakeholders to develop and pilot alternative models of delivery.”

In relation to the Anchorage, it says: “The South Quay development will open in 2026, providing a co-located and integrated health and care setting, with further day opportunities and supported employment options for local residents.

“The Anchorage is open four days a week, providing services from the base 3.5 days with people attending alternative settings on a Friday. With regards to bridging alterations, the Cabinet report on September 9 set out a number of alternatives to attendance at the Anchorage.

“All of these alternatives constitute bridging options for those that wish to attend South Quay from 2026 onwards.”

Those alternatives include day opportunities at the Meadow Park Centre, Community-based activities in the Pembroke Dock Community Hall, and community-based activities at the VC Gallery, Pembroke Dock, the report says.

It adds: “Individuals who have chosen Meadow Park as their preferred setting will be supported to do so and direct transport will be provided. All but one person who attends the Anchorage attends other placements during the week and those services will remain unchanged.

“The long-term continuation of the Anchorage as a Day Centre would also require remedial structural work. This would take a minimum of three months to complete. During any remedial work activity, individuals would be required to attend other day opportunities.

“Officers have been in contact with South Wales Advocacy services to ask for support to ensure that the people who use the service are fully engaged in the final decisions regarding their own care and support.”

Cabinet is recommended to note information received following the scrutiny meeting and “to use this information to adopt a final decision on Bro Preseli, Lee Davies and Anchorage Day Centres, following its decision to adopt option 2 as set out in the day opportunities report to Cabinet on  September 9.

“a)  Close the Anchorage Day Centre with effect from November 1. b) Establish social enterprise models in Bro Preseli and Lee Davies Centre with effect from April 1, 2025 and end existing Service Level Agreements with Lee Davies and Bro Preseli by this date.”