Would you send your gran to this?

I used to work at Bowles Lodge day Centre in the 1990s. All clients were picked up and returned to their homes by our minibus and during their day at the centre could have breakfast and later home cooked dinner fresh from the main home.In addition to social activities some clients could have an assisted bath in a purpose built bath for people with reduced mobility.
This new centre seems very far from that. n fact at the time a colleague who was studying for a diploma in the provision of care for the elderly said to me that by the time we were elderly ourselves there wouldn't be anything of the same calibre in place for us due to financial constraints. What she said 16 years ago seems to have come to pass.

OMG!!!

We are deeply saddened that a flawed, uninformed and totally biased article has been published regarding the proposed day care provision at Hartley Dyke business centre. Moreover that opinions have been formed with little contact to ascertain the facts or even to request a meeting with us to look inside. As the article is supposed to be reporting on behalf of the community, it appears instead to be reporting on what the parish councillors think of a business unit they have never been in.

Scott Care Ltd have been providing support to service users in Medway since 2004. Since this time we have secured various other contracts with both Medway Council & Kent County Council. We now provide care services throughout Kent & Medway. We have a number of people living in the Cranbrook & Hawkhurst area who are looked after by our home care service. Local people who are looking forward to visiting the day care centre at Hartley Dyke.

The unit at Hartley Dyke does indeed have metal shutters as a security feature. The unit also has 4 full size glass doors behind the metal shutter affording ample natural daylight.

The unit at Hartley Dyke has already been converted inside to provide a modern, light, safe place for our service users to attend. Insulation, suspended ceiling, heating & a disabled toilet have been fitted to ensure our service users are warm & comfortable during their visits. The assumption that welfare benefits are lacking is incorrect. At present tea, coffee & filtered water systems are in place. Our service users will decide what other facilities they would like. Not what you might expect form a 'shed' or 'ships cargo hold.'
Meal preparation & provision did not form part of the tender process; presumably due to the fact that the personalization agenda focuses on the right of service users to choose what they want to eat & when they want to eat it. Similarly the tender process did not require us to provide a transport function.

The owner of the business units at Hartley Dyke business centre has worked hard on the site. There are a number of units now including a farm shop & nursery who work well together respecting each other & the local community, far from looking like 'sheds' or 'a ships cargo hold.'

Presumably Scott Care Has demonstrated its suitability to provide day care services at Hartley Dyke. Indeed Scott Care undertook a rigorous tender process during which the purchasing officers have looked into every option & possibility. We are left wondering if this article is in fact challenging Scott Care, Kent Count Council, or social reform in general.

How depressingly awful...