Lack of Community Support Worker criticised

Date published: 15/12/2006

John Kay, President of Rochdale Local Chamber Council and a director of Rochdale Online, has written to officers of the Parkinson's Disease Society following their decision to abandon recruitment of a Community Support Worker for the Rochdale Branch of the Society - despite £20,000 being raised locally to fund such a worker.

Mr Kay's letter:

I am writing to you about the plight of the Parkinson's Disease sufferers in Rochdale, some of whom are or have been members of the Chamber of Commerce.

These sufferers need a Community Support Worker to act as an advocate on their behalf and to provide them with emotional and practical information.

I specifically donated money to the Rochdale Branch of your Society, on the understanding that they were fundraising to provide such a worker.

I am told that the Branch has now raised the £20,000 which is normally required by the Society before you can start the process of hiring a suitable person.

However I understand that the Branch has now been advised that all new posts are to be frozen pending the development and implementation of a new scheme, which will introduce a new role for support workers. I understand that this new scheme will not be piloted until the end of 2007 and will then be roiled out through the country in 2008/2009.

The expectations of the Rochdale members, who have raised this money by hard work and determination, have therefore been dashed, and I believe that they are extremely disappointed by the way in which the decision was made. I do not believe that advance warning of the "freeze" was sent out, or that they have received any official notification of it.

As it stands at the moment, there is no professional support in Rochdale to assist Parkinson sufferers after they have visited their Specialist and GP. I understand that you are now applying to obtain long term funding from the local PCT for a Parkinson Disease Specialist Nurse, but clearly this will take some time.

I, and many others, specifically made our donations in order to fund a much needed Community Support Worker now.

I find your decision to abandon recruitment for such a post when funds have been specifically raised for this purpose very surprising, and I would kindly ask you to reconsider establishing a new CSW post in Rochdale in the near future.