Consultation Hub

Your views on:

• A proposed relocation of the Council’s Learning Disability respite service from its main building at 118 Whitley Wood in South Reading.
• What is important about the service, now and for the future

• You agreed that the Council should be making the best use of its resources and look to relocate the Learning Disability respite service to a more suitable building.
• You agreed the Council should take the opportunity to review the future aspirations for the service.
• You said the top priorities were: securing a suitable alternative building for the service, providing sensitivity and support to those who use the service, and that the relocation is well managed.  You also said that accessibility of the building, access to support staff, and flexibility of the service was a key priority.

• We have taken on board the feedback you’ve given us and it is being considered alongside a wider review of our buildings.  We have used the feedback to explore some of the options going forward.
• We have presented our key findings to Councillors and they have agreed to our recommendation to explore and discuss the options in more detail.

Your views on:

• A proposed relocation of the Council’s mental health accommodation service (Focus House) from its main buildings at Castle Crescent
• What is important about the service, now or for the future

• You agreed that the Council should continually improve its services, extend the Focus house service and increase access to other mental wellness activities and support.
• You’d like a mixed approach – where some residents can move together into a new location and still receive onsite access to staff, with others moving into smaller, supported living accommodation elsewhere in the borough.
• You said a ‘smooth transition’ is the biggest priority, as well as a safe and homely environment, and developing independence.

• We have taken on board the feedback you’ve given us and it is being considered alongside a wider review of our buildings.  We have used the feedback to explore some of the options going forward.
• We have presented our key findings to Councillors and they have agreed to our recommendation to explore and discuss the options in more detail.

As part of savings proposals, the library service was interested in feedback on reduced opening hours and patterns of opening at 6 of Reading’s 7 libraries.

We had over 1,300 responses, and over 5,000 pieces of individual feedback which helped us review and revisit the proposals.

These responses helped shape the proposals put before Policy Committee – and changed some of the hours based on feedback. A set of opening hours was approved which will be implemented following staff consultation. We have also noted other feedback given with further suggestions and mitigations.