A MOTHER from Basingstoke has been left angry and frustrated that a respite unit that provides vital care for her son could be closed for good, as the county council are set to consider its permanent closure.

As previously reported, Firvale Respite Unit provided overnight respite for children and young people with disabilities. Of the nine beds available, five were used for social care provision by the county council while Hampshire Hospitals accesses the other four for health needs.  

It has been temporarily closed since the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020. The proposals come alongside recommendations for further targeted investment in a wide range of other services which more effectively meet the need for children’s respite care.

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The council says it cannot afford to pay the £400,000 improvements needed to the purpose-built unit, which is owned by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Its report also said users of Firvale has “experienced a loss of privacy within bedrooms and grounds because of recent adjoining building developments”.

Lauren Freitas, whose six-year-old son Cohen has a rare genetic condition, said the unit provides vital support to her family.

Her son, who needs constant care and is up frequently at night with pain, currently accesses the medical part of Firvale run by Basingstoke hospital.

Firvale, which is rated as ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted, costs £869,000 a year to run.

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She has told the Gazette that her son has to now attend a respite centre in Andover.

She said: "We have been moved to this place in Andover and so he attends sessions there but obviously it is Andover so it is a bit of a pain to go to all the time.

"He has just been awarded continuing care so if the social side was open we could have used that instead of having to go to Andover's Rainbow Corner.

"My son does not sleep so driving to Andover is quite tricky at the moment, my social worker is understanding and when he goes in the holidays he gets picked at him and I then pick him up after.

"It would make life so much easier, I would save on fuel and I would not have to stress so much because it is not like going on motorways to take my son."

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A final decision will then be made by Cllr Roz Chadd, deputy leader of Hampshire County Council and executive lead member for children’s services, at her decision day on Wednesday, October 19. Despite this Lauren said she feels councillors have already made up their mind.

The 35-year-old added: "They think they have an answer to everything when their answers are not good enough. There are a lot of children that would benefit from keeping that place open.

"It makes me really angry as our life is harder enough and then it always feels like our children are always getting things taken off them."

The mum said Cohen cannot walk and suffers daily from sickness and pain resulting in him requiring help throughout the day and night.

She added: "Firvale was somewhere he could be free and move about to his heart's content and that is how he loves to b, he loves to be free and play."