Police & Crime Commissioner Criticised Over Funding Cut ‘Threatening Future Of Welfare Centre’

The North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner has been accused of threatening the future of a town centre welfare centre after withdrawing his funding – which makes up 23% of the overall running cost.

Hafan y Dref on Albion Street, opened in 2015 to offer treatment to people and ease demand on Wrexham’s A&E department during busy evenings for the town’s nighttime economy.

The welfare centre was opened after a £200,000 conversion and costs around £38,000 a year to run.

However during a Nightsafe meeting between representatives of the nighttime economy, police, the council and others earlier this week, it was announced that Police and Crime Commissioner, was withdrawing his part of the funding .

The reduction of the £9,000 from the commissioner results in a 23% funding cut – which was described this week as a ‘threat’ to the future of the centre from local representatives.

After highlighting a recent award won by staff, the meeting was told over 3,200 people had been treated there to varying degrees. Statistics appear to be available in a non-public report, with some read out including that 110 people had subsequently been taken to Wrexham Maelor’s A&E department.

A figure of £500 per ambulance trip was attributed to costs involved in a 999 transfer, so those staff and volunteers making such trips could have saved the NHS around £55,000.

Anecdotally it was reported that ambulances are now dropping people who are drunk at the centre rather than taking them to A&E to help manage the demand at the hospital, with two such drop offs taking place at the weekend.

Various other examples of money saving for other services were cited, including that time spent by staff in the centre meant that police did not have to dedicate resources for safeguarding.

Town District Inspector Paul Wycherley attended Nightsafe and took the brunt of the complaints, being told by one representative at the meeting that: “We have been told this has no benefit to North Wales Police, there is clearly benefit to all. This is one of the best initiatives in Wrexham for a very long time.”

Inspector Wycherley briefly pointed out the Police and Crime Commissioner’s role is as an elected official rather than day to day police, and therefore it was not North Wales Police deciding on any funding change to the centre.

He said: “We can’t quantify how many of the 3000 who attended and were treated would have come to harm if they did not attend, we can never know that figure, but I would say possibly quite a lot.”

Speaking over the figures given out, there were 72 people referred to the centre by police, he added: “Right there are 72 people we would have had to safeguard.”

The Inspector was clear that he could not advise the group on what to do, but did point out there was avenues for Nightsafe to discuss things with the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner if they wished and as it was not North Wales Police that could be a more appropriate route.

We asked the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones why the funding was being withdrawn, he told us: “I was clear from the outset that there would be no funding from me after this year.

“My predecessor agreed the first tranche of funding for 2015/16 and when I took office I sanctioned another 12 months of funding, which came to an end in March of this year, on the basis that I would not be contributing any more money to this particular project which I feel should be self-sustaining.

“It was never agreed that funding would be provided indefinitely as this was seen as a pilot.

“There are many competing demands for the money in my budget and my priorities are different to those of my predecessor.”

“My priority in Wrexham is to address problematic drug use and homelessness and I work closely with CAiS and ArchKaleidoscope to achieve positive outcomes for this marginalised group of people which includes people addicted to alcohol.”

At the meeting it was revealed that the centre is one of many options being considered as a possible daytime option to help assist with various well documented issues in the town centre – a solution recently raised by Arfon Jones himself last week after a ‘day on the streets’ style learning exercise.

Picture – Google Maps