A MOTHER is "beside herself with worry" about what will happen to her severely disabled son when a York day centre closes its doors.

Stephen Bell, 42, suffers from cerebral palsy, and has been part of the community at Huntington Road Day Centre for three years.

But bosses at City of York Council have earmarked the centre for closure in May, and his mother, Anne, fears for Stephen's future.

She said: "What's happening is awful and everybody who uses the centre is absolutely beside themselves with worry.

"We were told about a year ago that the centre was closing and that they would be sending us somewhere else, but now we're just weeks off the closure date and we still don't know where.

"Nobody has any idea about anything, and even the staff don't know what's going to happen to their jobs."

Anne, who is 63, said she was lucky to have carers who looked after Stephen when he was not at the day centre, but others were not so fortunate.

She said: "A lot of the people who go there are living with parents who are getting on in age and they are wondering how they are going to cope when the centre closes.

"Not knowing what is going to happen is causing a lot of stress for a lot of people and we wish we could just be told."

Huntington Road Day Centre provides care for 56 adults with physical or sensory impairments.

Anne, of Heslington, in York, said: "There's no way Stephen could stay at home all day because he needs things to do to keep him stimulated.

"They are all friends together at the centre, but when it closes they are all going to be split up. Everybody is devastated.

"The day centre has everything they need and they haven't really explained why they're closing it."

A City of York Council spokeswoman said Stephen would continue to receive support for five days a week.

She said: "Meetings have taken place or are booked with all families to advise of the future plans for summer onwards, when the Huntington facility will be closing.

"There are a variety of places across the city offering different activities that those using the centre can take up with support when it is closed.

"If any more specialist services are required, these will be commissioned.

"The individual plans will be completed within a short time span so that all customers are aware of their options."

She said the council was also working closely with the 11 staff at the centre to redeploy them to other posts.


Uncertain future for Yearsley users

AN UNCERTAIN future is facing the 70 adults with learning disabilities who use the Yearsley Bridge Day Centre.

The centre, which is just across the road from the Huntington Road Day Centre, is expected to close in May.

But bosses at City of York Council have pledged that users will not receive a lower level of service. Bill Hodson, director of housing and adult social services, said users would get individually tailored care and activities at a range of other locations across the city.

He said by having a network of places where people could go, rather than one main location, many people would have shorter distances to travel to access care and activities.

He said: "This is not about reducing the level of services to people.

"It is about providing them in a different way that is better suited to the needs of each person."

A council spokesperson said: "We expect most service users at Yearsley Bridge to be accessing other community supports by May.

"However, a group of about 12 to 15 people with more severe disabilities, and who use the hydrotherapy pool, will continue to use Yearsley Bridge as their base until the new pool at Oaklands is open.

"This is expected to be early summer 2009."

More than 6,000 people have now signed a petition against the centre's closure.