New centre to care for adults with learning disabilities

The new service is to open in the Old Copperclay facility at Ouldon Road, Easingwold, in June, and will be used as an assessment and treatment service, housing eight adult males with learning disabilities and complex needs for up to two years.

It follows a large-scale refurbishment programme at the site undertaken by NHS North Yorkshire and York.

Melanie Bradbury, assistant director responsible for commissioning health services for vulnerable adults, said: "There are currently no facilities within North Yorkshire and York for assessing and treating such individuals, resulting in the need for them to be transferred out of their local area and away from their families.

"The redevelopment means we can now assess and treat adults with learning disabilities closer to where they live.

"This is clearly much more desirable for them and their families and means that our services can be more cost effective."

The Old Copperclay site in Easingwold has been used as a residential site since 1993, providing community-based care for adults with learning disabilities and complex needs.

Health campaigners have welcomed the refurbishment but said more facilities are needed across the region to help take the strain off families.

David Congdon, head of campaigns and policy at learning disability charity Mencap, said: "It is essential that there are respite services, like the facility at Easingwold, so that families are supported in their caring role.

"Many families who care for children or adults with severe, profound and multiple learning disabilities get no short breaks at all.

"Our research has found that eight out of 10 families who are caring for somebody with a learning disability said that they had r eached breaking point and felt they could not cope any more."

The first phase of work will start this month and cost 250,000, the cost of the other two phases has not been released.