Letter published in Galloway News Thurs 3/12 and Galloway Gazette Fri 4/12

Sir.  The ARCs will be closed.  Along with Margaret Dodds, Isabel Millar, Irene Walford, a couple from Wigtown and many others, I have just wasted nearly 6 precious care hours being patronised today (Monday) at the awful shambles Enable Scotland described as a ‘conference’, which was meant to “inform” me.  After sitting through 2 hrs of self indulgent waffle we then heard Judith Proctor, representing D&G Council, talking grandly of choice, participation and involvement.  She was the last speaker before we had a sandwich.  As she ended two people politely tried to ask questions but were rudely prevented from doing so by Norman Dunning, the Chief Executive who said “no questions”.  It was like a dictatorship, such that several people left in disgust.  What sort of conference is it where people are spoken at, listen politely for so long and then are not allowed any questions to a “keynote” speaker in the open session at the end of the morning?  But after ‘lunch’ it just got worse.  Several people were in tears of frustration and anger when later asking Ms Proctor in a small ‘workshop’ about the ARC closures, she being the co-author of that closure report as D&G Head of Strategic Planning.  Many times she refused deny that it was her intention to close the ARCs and so left us in no doubt that is what she wants to do and will do, whatever we think.  But she did say that in Castle Douglas the ARC Print Shop will not close “because that is not a building”.  You couldn’t make this up if you tried.  But that means the main Castle Douglas and the other ARCs will be closed, when she has her way.  By then several more people were also in tears.  For all their fine words neither the council or Enable were listening to us at all, they just don’t care about what we say or what we want, yet all day they just went on and on and on about individual choice, consultation, personalisation and person centred involvement.  What absolute hypocrisy, especially from a learning disabled charity taking donations from the public who believe they are doing good.  Mr Alex Russell National Chair of Enable was no where to be seen, no doubt because he knew what we all thought of the situation and hadn’t the courage to show his face, yet in his recent letter was telling everyone else to attend.  Doesn’t that just say it all? 

Yours in disgust.    Mrs Jackie McKie and for other concerned families.