Dudley Council's adult social care director has firmly denied that the authority plans to close a popular dementia service in Stourbridge, following renewed fears over its future. At a meeting of the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee on August 3, Emma Matthews addressed concerns about the Crystal Gateway centre on Brettell Lane, which has been described as a 'lifeline' by users and their families.
Reassurance over Crystal Gateway's future
Ms Matthews told the committee that the department remains 'fully committed' to supporting people with dementia and their carers, despite an ongoing review of community-based services. The review, linked to departmental restructures, has raised concerns that the council is 'clearly committed to dissolving the specialist services within adult social care', as claimed by Cllr Andrew Tromans in a submitted question.
Ms Matthews said: "I would like to reassure councillors and therefore residents that the adult social care department remains fully committed to supporting people living with dementia and their carers. The current departmental review of community-based support linked to departmental restructures has needed to focus on how services are delivered to ensure that available resources are used in the most effectively equitable way to meet local need. It should not be interpreted as a reduction in our commitment to dementia support."
Changes to service model explained
The service at the Brettell Lane centre was previously limited geographically, but Ms Matthews explained that a redesigned service would operate across the borough, with the council remaining as providers for the short and medium term. She acknowledged that existing members can still access services at the Gateway, but the council is moving from an 'old model' to a 'new model' that offers more focused activities.
"It was just a day service, what we're moving to is a much more focused offer where people know the activities that are available and can select from those, so they can choose what they want not only at Crystal but across the whole range of services," she said. "They'll have much more exciting plans that they're in control of, that's not a reduced offer, it's just a changed offer."
No managed decline, says director
Cllr Tromans pressed the point about whether current users were being given end dates, whether new users were being accepted, and whether the council was involved in a process of managed decline. Ms Matthews assured the committee that existing members can still access services, and while new clients are not being accepted for a day of services at Crystal, they can book services at the centre and other hubs.
She added: "In the work we did with people who used the service at Crystal, we listened to what they said they liked about it and what they didn't like. They loved the building, they wanted to keep the building so we made that commitment and that building stays as part of our offer."
Background: 2025 campaign to save the centre
The centre has been a focal point of community support, and in 2025 councillors voted unanimously to retain the facility after a public outcry over a proposal to close it to save cash. The new reassurance comes as the council continues to restructure its adult social care services, with a focus on delivering services more equitably across the borough.
The committee heard that the new model will allow users to select from a range of activities, not only at Crystal but across the whole range of services, giving them more control over their care plans. Ms Matthews said the council will continue to explain the benefits of the new offer to existing clients as they transition.
