Rochdale council told to improve community hub in Middleton

Rochdale council has been told to make improvements to a community hub in Middleton after residents raised concerns ranging from a lack of trust to poor transport connections to the site.

The Alkrington Hub, on Hardfield Road, was launched in July 2022 following the closure of the Moving On service, and aims to improve residents’ physical and mental wellbeing through organising various support services at the centre.
 

Read more: People with acquired brain injuries left feeling ‘worthless’ by a council consultation that led to closure of lifeline 'Moving On' servicePublished: 16 July 2021

 

Read more: Disabled charity hits out at council over facilities at new £150,000 hubPublished: 18 October 2022

The hub underwent a £150,000 revamp but research by Healthwatch Rochdale has revealed that users are still struggling to warm to the site more than a year after it reopened.

The findings noted that the hub is “not being utilised to it’s full potential” with one resident claiming that “it has lost it’s appeal” and that “it looks empty”.

Kickstart with Hope, a charity that supports people with brain injuries and other disabilities, is one organisation using the hub – but feedback in the Healthwatch report has raised concerns about a lack of support from the council.

One resident said: “Kickstart with Hope are trying their best for their members but have no support from the council or any other groups and is proving a challenge.

“They are being ignored by the council and the building in its current state is not actually as accessible for disabled people.”

The findings also revealed concerns around transport to the hub and a lack of awareness about what was on offer. Healthwatch Rochdale stated in the report that a “lack of accessible, reliable and affordable transport is a barrier to accessing services resulting in Rochdale residents not taking up services that they may need.”

Among the health services that people wanted to see at the Alkrington Hub, the top three included mental health support, weight management, and rehabilitation.

The report, which was shared in November and was carried out at the request of the council, offered four recommendations for improvement. This included:

• Improved transport links for local residents to access the Alkrington Hub
• Improved communications to promote the services within the Alkrington Hub
• Rochdale Council to re-establish trust with local residents relating specifically to adult care services
• Rochdale Council communication team to support future local engagement work which is being carried out in partnership across the health and social care sector

In response, the council stated: “Our residents in the borough and those who use services are recognised as being vital to the development of services and for their input whenever change is required.

“The council is working on developing and improving how coproduction can work and Adult Care have recently appointed a Co-Production and Engagement Officer to support them to do this more effectively.”

It also claimed that there are “a number of transport options that the public can utilise to access the building” and that awareness of the hub has been promoted in a number of ways.

The full report can be read on the Healthwatch Rochdale website.

Declan Carey, Local Democracy Reporting Service