HOBSONS Bay City Council has backed the Western Region Disability Network’s (WRDN) fight to keep open a respite facility for families with disabled children in Altona.
The Department of Human Services (DHS) runs the Queen Street facility, which services 35 families, but it is restructuring the facility because it is under-utilised.
It is expected to be made into a facility to house five children requiring permanent care, with respite care ending at the end of this month.
Hobsons Bay community services director Peter Hunt said the council was not consulted or informed of the changes.
He said the cessation of the service and the process of managing the change raised a number of concerns for council and for families with children with disabilities.
“Families with children using the service are being consulted about the closure and their respite needs after the decision to cease the service has already been made,” Mr Hunt said.
“It is acknowledged that recreational respite is more appealing to young people, but some families need facility-based, out-of-home respite.
“These families, due to the nature of the child’s disability and/or social circumstances, can be some of the most vulnerable in the service system.
“The only facility-based service in the West that will be available for these families from February 2006 is situated in Sunshine.”
About 95 families use the facility at Sunshine and WRDN executive officer Helen Adams said the extra 35 families would put an added strain on the facility.
Mr Hunt said while DHS was still in the process of developing a regional plan for respite services, the council would welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns and seek DHS’ reconsideration of the closure.
The council has also sent letters to parliamentarians and the regional director of the DHS north/west region.
“Council has raised concerns about the lack of respite services for families with children with disabilities on a number of occasions, the most recent being during the Community Cabinet visit in November,” he said.
Disability Services at the North and West Metropolitan Region DHS office have informed Mr Hunt that some funds have been allocated to increase a respite facility managed by Yooralla in Glenroy.
He was also told that as a result of meetings with families last month, timelines for the closure may be extended, but that DHS is still committed to changing the function of the facility in Queen Street.
The State Government has committed growth funds for respite, particularly targeted at developing non-facility-based respite options.
These options are often a more popular and suitable alternative for families.
