Stanley Centre closure decision 'may have breached Equalities Act'

The adults and health committee voted in September to close the Knutsford centre, which caters for adults with learning disabilities.

But Conservatives on the council argue that, although the officers’ report to that meeting included an equality and diversity report which recognised the proposed closure would impact residents who fell within a cohort identified as having protected characteristics, ‘insufficient weight appears to have been applied to this fact in the conclusion reached by officers to recommend the Stanley Centre should be closed’.

The council’s monitoring officer will now decide whether to accept a call-in request from Knutsford councillor Stewart Gardiner (Con) to have the matter reviewed at full council.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Image: Cheshire East Council)The call-in states that the impact of change to some people with SEND may be fundamental to their health and wellbeing.

It says when the committee made the decision, members were not aware whether or not assessments of the impact on each individual had been done because no reference was made to it.

The call-in also refers to the ‘flawed consultation’ – claiming the decision to close the centre had already been taken at February’s full council meeting on cost grounds when the budget was approved. That was before the consultation was launched.

That consultation revealed the people using the Stanley Centre wanted it to stay open.

Cllr Gardiner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week: “If you are dealing with a vulnerable group of people who you have a responsibility to care for, in those circumstances - when you ask them a question and you say this is what we’re proposing to do, what do you think, and they say, please don’t do this because of this, this and this - then you should be doing all you can to address their concerns and not just plough on regardless.”

Cllr Janet Clowes (Image: Cheshire East Council)Conservative group leader Janet Clowes said: “In the same way that the Nolan Principles set the standard for conduct in public life, so too the Gunning Principles do the same when conducting public consultations.

"These principles were highlighted in the report to committee, yet were not complied with in either spirit or practice.

“The choices offered were to either keep the service as it is or to close the Stanley Centre and seek community-based options. The alternative community-based options were not identified. It is not surprising that users of the centre opted to keep it.”

She added: “We fully understand the rising demands for and pressures upon local authorities for social care provision, but under the Care Act (2014), residents still have the right to expect to be involved in identifying care options that best meets their needs.“

A decision on whether the call-in request has been accepted by the council is expected within the next few days.