PARENTS are to meet to thrash out concerns about the threatened closure of a respite centre for their disabled children.

Jackie Cross, the mum of Ryan Cross, a 15-year-old, who attends Tantivy Respite Centre, said she hopes to gather 50 parents at the Stanton Fitzwarren centre at 10.30am on February 1 to discuss the situation.

She said the purpose of the meeting is to present a unified front to ensure the current high level of service is maintained for teenagers like Ryan who suffers from epilepsy, autism and severe development delay.

Mrs Cross added the meeting is essential for the parents to “express their wishes clearly” to the Swindon Primary Care Trust (PCT), which funds the centre.

She said that parents largely agree that, although the building may no longer suitable, another unit should be found for the children and young people rather than hiring individual foster carers to take care of the children.

She said parents were told the preferred option was to put children in to foster carers’ homes. “There are problems with the PCT’s plans and before we all agree to them separately I want to meet with the parents so we can discuss the issue,” said the 47-year-old. “My son cannot communicate, but has been going to Tantivy for 10 years and it is his only social interaction.

“My whole life revolves around the four days of respite I get each month – the system we have now works wonders.”

NHS Swindon Acting Chief Executive Heather Mitchell said: “We fully understand that change and uncertainty are an additional worry for parents of disabled children and the most important point to make is that Tantivy will not close until alternative services are in place – including a similar residential setting for those children who need it.”

She said an NHS service from Oxfordshire looked at the service and found although it was good there were problems with the building.

“The Board of NHS Swindon read the report and decided it could not allow any new children to be admitted to Tantivy while there are problems with the building so would find them alternative solutions. We also said we would continue meeting the needs of children already attending Tantivy.

“We have asked that a new service for disabled children should be planned in partnership with parents and people working with disabled children. This will include a home similar to Tantivy for children who need that type of care. The money we spend on this service will remain the same and still be used to provide short-term breaks for disabled children.

“We have contacted all parents who already use the Tantivy service and reassured them that an overnight short term break provision will be available according to their child’s individual need and that they will be involved in developing a new service.

“In the meantime, Tantivy will continue to be available to those children already receiving this service and will not close until an alternative is found.”