Hop, Skip and Jump Swindon is a respite centre for children with additional needs and disabilities. The company as a whole went into administration in early March and all staff at the Swindon centre were made redundant on the 17th June. 

The centre caters for all children no matter how complex their needs are and staff are trained in administering peg feeds, suctioning, rescue medication, Team Teach and much more. This means that we are able to care for children who can't be catered for in most settings. For example one parent has not been able to find alternative respite for her son or a direct payments worker as no other provision has the appropriate training for her son's medical needs and it would be her responsibility as  a parent to source the training which she has been unable to do.

It has been running since 2011 and currently has 143 children on roll. Some who have been attending since the doors first opened. Many of our children have conditions such as autism which means that change of routine and loss of a familiar place will be very distressing for them. Also a lot of the children have attachment issues due to traumatic past experiences and the sudden loss of a place and people they feel safe with will feel like an abandonment. 

It is also very hard for carers to feel confident in leaving their children with anyone but Hop, Skip and Jump Swindon over the years has built strong bonds with both children and the carers an many are devastated at the loss of a trusted vital service which would be nothing without its staff team.

We are asking Swindon Borough Council to reconsider the closing of the centre and the redundancy of the staff team.