Few support North Devon mental health centres' closure

Only two per cent in favour

Councillors have questioned the time taken to reinstate drop-in services at four North Devon mental health centres that are set to reopen.

The link service began in North Devon in 1992 and is unique to the area – providing day services and drop-in sessions for 264 people, mostly aged 41 to 65 in Barnstaple, Bideford, Holsworthy and Ilfracombe.

However, the buildings closed at the start of the pandemic, with people subsequently receiving help mainly online and by telephone.

A consultation was then run to see if they should close permanently and for the £480,000 yearly budget to be used to provide flexible community services instead.

But the exercise found that only two per cent of people supported the closure of the centres, which help people to improve their confidence and wellbeing. Demonstrations were also held against the original plans.

As a result, in December the council’s ruling cabinet voted for the existing Barnstaple, Bideford and Ilfracombe buildings to reopen when it is safe to do so, with the centre in Holsworthy relocating to a different location in the town.

Councillors also agreed to expand the support available by introducing outreach services, which is hoped will mean residents across North Devon and Torridge can access mental health support as easily as people who live in or near the four towns.

Providing an update to this week’s Devon County Council health and adult care scrutiny committee, a report said risk assessments have taken place to see how the buildings can re-open, “in a way that will keep staff and people using the services safe.”

It added that while health teams: “continue to work under strict covid-19 guidelines there will be a limited number of hours available, and they will be on a pre-arranged appointment basis for people to attend. We are finalising how this will work.”

Locality director Tim Golby, who works jointly for the NHS and Devon County Council, said an alternative building had also been found to replace the former one in Holsworthy, while “maintenance issues” had been identified at the Bideford property that needed to be sorted.

Councillor Linda Hellyer (Conservative, Bideford East) asked when the service would return to the drop-in style it operated before the pandemic, which “people campaigned for.”

She continued: “Barely a day goes by when I’m not contacted in some way – email, telephone call, message – by some resident anxiously asking me when their drop-in will reopen. It really is an important issue for them.”

Councillor Martin Wrigley (Lib Dem, Dawlish) added: “The drop-in nature is absolutely essential, as I understand them.

“I have had concerns expressed about the increased use of telephone services as well, given that mental health issues can often be triggered, and telephone use is a frequent paranoia trigger amongst this community, and could potentially be more harmful than beneficial to many service users.

“That reinforces the need for the drop-in centres and actually having that in person.”

Mr Golby replied by saying drop-in services would form part of a redesign of the link service in North Devon, with the help of local councillors, as agreed by the cabinet in December.

He said the “high community prevalence” of covid had played a part in the drop-in service not yet restarting, but accepted “the challenge that we have to live with covid.”

Councillor James McInnes (Conservative, Hatherleigh & Chagford), cabinet member for adult social care and health services, told the meeting he was still committed to the decision made in December.

“I’m frustrated with covid and it hasn’t all moved along as fast as I would like, but once we are able, that’s what I want to happen. It will be modelled in a different way but there will still be drop-in, because we made that plain in December.”

He added: “It may not be drop-in like it was originally before covid and the rest of it, because as we said we want local members to be involved in the redesign of the service, but there will be some drop-in because I think that’s important.”