Islington Council responds to consultation on Lough Road children’s centre

Islington Council will delay making a final decision about future services and staff arrangements at the Lough Road Centre for disabled children until February 2016.
 
The decision to postpone setting out previous proposals – outlined in a public consultation paper – to the council’s executive, which meets next month, has been set out in a letter to staff and parents of children who use the service.
 
Over the next few months the council will work with parents and staff, as well as other stakeholders and service providers, to produce new proposals for the daytime and mobile ‘outreach’ services.
 
Islington Council’s executive member for children and families, Cllr Joe Caluori, said: “I’d like to thank all those who took the time to write to us to express their views on the proposals.
 
“Their feedback has helped us understand how we can best meet the needs of the majority of those who use the centre’s services.
 
“It’s clear that more work needs to be done to achieve this and we will ensure that parents and staff are closely involved over the coming months as we come up with new ideas.”
 
“I appreciate this hasn’t been an easy time for those who work at and use the centre and I’m grateful to them for their patience and co-operation.”
 
In the meantime, the centre will continue to provide overnight short breaks for children who already use this service and will help any new parents of children who need overnight residential services to identify suitable alternatives.
 
Where a Children’s Social Care Assessment shows the need for the current day services at Lough Road for new families – and those services cannot be delivered via other means – the centre will continue to accept referrals.