silverlands action campaign

Newsletter 5                30 November 2001

PROTEST 8 DECEMBER 10am CIVIC OFFICES, ADDLESTONE

IF YOU CARE - BE THERE!

SILVERLANDS - CLINIC FULL STEAM AHEAD

The Home Office plans to turn Silverlands into a clinic are still very much in place and the £2m+ refurbishment of the building has been stepped up over recent weeks.  The French polishers have moved in!

March 2002 - New Home Office End Date

The target date for closure of the Wolvercote Clinic in Epsom is now the end of March 2002. 

Philip Hammond MP

Key points from a recent meeting with Phillip Hammond the local MP:

·        He had been requesting location criteria from the Home Office for weeks (they have finally been provided see below).

·        Nursing Home Properties plc who provides secure accommodation to the NHS had written to Beverley Hughes giving her details of properties which could be made available to the NHS in a few weeks, which have planning and would be suitable.

·        Residents will arrive under own steam, sometimes with a spouse but always by pre-arrangement. 

·        Letter from Beverley Hughes – stepping up security, planning issues.  Site is regarded as at risk.    Increased cost and impact. 

·        The key issues in his view are (a) the flawed decision making process and (b) impacts on our children if the decision goes ahead. 

·        It would cause BH anxiety if children directly lose out from a programme designed to protect children.

·        PH has been applying for an adjournment debate, which provides him with the opportunity to challenge the Minister on all these questions in Parliament.  This is by lottery, he will continue to apply for this. 

·        Other MPs have sent their support.

Runnymede Council Activity

Our council officers have been in contact with their Balham opposite numbers to learn from their experiences in successfully preventing a paedophile clinic being opened in their community.  

Home Office – Criteria For Location Of The Clinic

After a month of asking for the criteria that was used in the decision to move the Wolvercote Clinic, the Home Office provided the following less than 48 hours before the meeting with SAC representatives;  

Location

The site and buildings should:

1.       not directly overlook property of a sensitive nature, such as schools, centres working with children, private accommodation, etc, or a public highway.  (Weighting: High)

2.       be relatively accessible and not too isolated.  (Weighting: Medium)

3.       enable the Lucy Faithfull Foundation to retain experienced specialist staff (Weighting: High)

4.       have C2 use status for planning purposes to minimise cost and disruption. (Weighting: High)

5.       be in a reasonable state of repair and not require major refurbishment works (Weighting: Medium)

6.       be viable for permanent use (although consideration will be given to short-term sites that the Clinic could reasonably relocate to prior to 31 March 2002). (Weighting: Medium)

7.       have some connection with an existing facility (prison, hospital, etc.) to provide an established “neighbour” with additional security benefits. (Weighting: Medium)

Capacity

To carry out its work effectively, the clinic needs capacity for:

8.       bedroom space for 25 residents in single or shared rooms, and one staff bedroom to accommodate the sleeping night cover. (Weighting: High)

9.       space for up to 21 other members of staff, including therapists, administrative staff, management, and service staff. (Weighting: High)

10.   four large group rooms, space for a viewing facility to observe sessions, and storage for equipment.  (Weighting: High)

11.   shared resident space: dining room, television lounge, etc. (Weighting: High)

12.   enclosed outdoor space.  (Residents are in the Clinic on a 24-hour residential basis for 12 months). (Weighting: High)

13.   rooms to accommodate LFF meetings with other agencies. (Weighting: Medium)

Security

Security considerations should cover the safe supervision of residents and the vulnerability of the site from public disorder and criminal damage.  This should be discrete but sufficient to reassure the public of the facility’s safe management. Any site should:

14.   have grounds or a perimeter that can be made secure and where access and egress can be readily monitored by staff and CCTV. (Weighting: High)

15.   balance any isolation against vulnerability to public disorder to ensure the health and safety of staff and residents. (Weighting: High)

Cost

Cost will be taken into account in terms of affordability. It may be a factor when considering similar sites.

Campaign Funds Required Now

To mount our legal challenge, keep this newsletter and other campaign activity going we need your financial help.  Please send your donations made payable to Silverlands Action Campaign to the address below. 

WITHOUT YOUR HELP WE FAIL!

Contact Us At:

Silverlands Action Campaign, Moorewell House, Lyne Lane, Lyne, KT16 0AJ

By phone on 07960 828113                   By Fax 01932 874547

e.mail to silverlandsgroup@hotmail.com     Internet -  WWW.silverlandsgroup.org

Everything in this newsletter is provided in good faith and we accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies in any information provided to us in good faith. If we have made any statement which is incorrect in any way please contact us and we will correct it as soon as possible.