Updated Information

 

Meeting – 24 June 2026

The Head of Service, Assistant Director, a minute taker, my solicitor and I attended this meeting. My solicitor was there to support me and also took notes. 

 

 

 

GreenHill

 

 

Who made the decision to close one of the respite beds at Greenhill, and why?

 

 

Their response:

 

 

Due to the increasing complexity of the children’s needs and the restrictions regarding the environment in this small home, it continues to present ongoing challenges, particularly in meeting the standards expected by the RQIA. In response, the decision was made by senior management within the Trust to review and strengthen service delivery arrangements. The focus of this decision is to ensure that services are better aligned to meet the diverse and often high-level needs of children, while also addressing the ongoing issues identified by the RQIA. 

 

 

Why have we not got a 4 bedded facility as promised.

 

 

Their response:

 

 

Greenhill was only, and continues to be, a temporary facility, although the service is permanent and has a permanent full staff team. As I was aware from last year, they were not able to fully use Greenhill due to having a very small staff group. 

 

Having used some of the investment monies to get the staff in place, the Trust needed to ensure that the staff team was being used effectively and to the maximum of its availability, with a clear focus on demonstrating value for money for a period of time before putting together the case to progress a four-bedded facility.

They go on to say " Senior managers in the Children's Disability Service, finance and the then director LP were responsible for implementing and overseeing these changes. A key priority is to fully utilise the exisiting two-bed provision before any consideration is given to explanding to the four-bed model. This requires a strong focus on optimising the current staff team and ensuring resources are used efficiently before a case for further development can be justified. Funding is strategically allocated, using revenue funding to support staffing costs and capital funding to secure or rent the appropriate facility, ensuring a balanced and sustainable approach to service delivery".

 

 

How much does it cost to lease Greenhill?

 

 

Their response:

 

 

Greenhill’s lease includes activities, accommodation, meals and laundry facilities. This equates to £35,120 per quarter.

 

I stated that the only activity our children can avail of is swimming, when it is available and if a staff member is trained.

 

 

Their response:

 

Greenhill was not meant for our complex children. Using Greenhill for them limits the activities that can be safely provided. As previously stated, the Trust needs to prove Greenhill is being fully utilised before it can put a case forward for additional funds or beds.

 

 

I stated that most of our children do not stay for more than 24 hours, so they do not receive lunch.

 

 

Their response:

 

 

Because Greenhill is so small, they are not allowed to cook due to fire regulations.

 

 

Redwood

 

Question - how is redwood operating

 

Redwood is a 2 bedded facility with a total of 3 children getting support.

 

one bed is allocated to full time placement.

 

one bed is being used for shared care.

 

2 children with one seperate room for each and only one of the children there at any one time.

 

 

I asked how many staff they have in redwood, their reply was " there is a total 21 staff for redwood. This includes at least 2 waking night staff plus sleep in staff member.

 

 

Lindsay house

 

 

The child was moved from Lindsay House to Redwood. However, another child has since moved into Lindsay House. A business case has been submitted to secure alternative accommodation for this child. Until suitable accommodation is found, Lindsay House cannot be used for short breaks.

 

Criteria

 

I also asked at the meeting why were familys being sent away when asking for help

 

Their response

 

LN advised the criteria for Childrens disability is set out regionally. She noted the criteria is complex health, sever autism or autism with co-morbidity and severe learning disabilitie. Referrals go through the Gateway team and they determine if they meet our criteria, they then come to the teams for assessment.

 

 

These minutes were signed by both of them. It took 4 weeks to receive these minutes. Not only did i state i had an issue with the minutes but i wanted to progress this further. Its been made very clear to me that my concerns/complaint is closed and no other meetings will take place regarding this.