What services do local people want to see at the new Alkrington Hub?
The hub was created by Rochdale Borough Council to help reduce social isolation and improve residents physical & emotional wellbeing through providing needed support & services in one place.
Healthwatch Rochdale received 104 online survey responses in addition to 161 responses which came from telephone conversations, face to face conversations and a focus group.
The top three services people wanted to see in the hub were:
- Health (Mental Health Support, Rehabilitation, Weight Management).
- Leisure (Social Activities)
- Social Care (Advocacy services, rehabilitation and support for people with learning disabilities and autism).
Following the closure of the Moving On Service the hub struggled with uptake from local residents. The research by Healthwatch Rochdale identified the three main things that were preventing people from using the hub. These were:
- Lack of transport to the hub
- Lack of awareness of the hub
- Lack of trust of RBC following the closure of The Moving On Service.
Kate Jones, Healthwatch Rochdale Chief Executive Officer, said: "Following our work after the closure of the Moving On Service we wanted to makes sure services offered at the new Alkrington Hub were right for local people. We have worked in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council to make sure local people have a voice in shaping the services available.
This involved talking to ex-service users of the Moving On Service as well as speaking with residents from across the borough of Rochdale and professional partner organisations. If anyone didn’t get a chance to have a say you can still share your views with us on this or any publicly funded health and social care service at www.healthwatchrochdale.org.uk".
Read the full report.
https://www.healthwatchrochdale.org.uk/report/2023-11-14/alkrington-hub-consultation
