Care Opinion

Waiting area is cold and lacks privacy

Posted By bracewy59

"Waiting area is cold and lacks privacy"

About: Children and Young People Services / Autism Services

(as a parent/guardian),

We arrived a few minutes before our appointment. We were asked to wait in the waiting area (outside door)

We were waiting for approx 10 mins, but we have waited while our children have attended other appointments on their own. We have waited in the waiting area as our children are quite anxious and so we never know exactly how long the app will last. The waiting area is freezing. The door is constantly going as people come and go. There is no heating and no privacy for our young person attending an app or for us when discussing our young person after an appointment.

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Responses

Response from Shannan Doherty, ASD Coordinator & Operational Manager, Children and Young Peoples Directorate, Southern Health and Social Care Trust 4 days ago
We are preparing to make a change
Shannan Doherty
ASD Coordinator & Operational Manager, Children and Young Peoples Directorate,
Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Submitted on 19/11/2024 at 11:26
Published on Care Opinion at 12:19

Thank you 'bracewy59' for your feedback on the waiting area at The Oaks. I understand your concern about the cold, we have recently changed the settings for the door so that it does not automatically open from the inside and requires a button to be pressed, in the hope that this would keep the area warmer. We have also planned for art work to be painted on the glass windows to provide more privacy.

Unfortunately no other area within the building is available to be converted into a waiting room.

Autism Services are currently reviewing our facilities to explore other solutions to accommodate families whilst they wait for appointments.

Please contact me on 028 3756 6777 if you wish to discuss this further.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by bracewy59 (a parent/guardian)

I appreciate your response. The button is an excellent idea in terms of preventing young children or young adults leaving the building straight on to the road, whilst parents are having discussions with practitioners. I feel this is the only value of the push button, there is no retention of heat and the door is constantly opening and closing. The heat is also lost through all the windows surrounding the ‘waiting area.’

Whilst paintings will provide some privacy from outside, there is little privacy when the Autism practitioners wish/need to discuss the outcome of the 1:1 intervention with our young person or we need to discuss something with them. I do believe that the ‘waiting area’ is not fit for purpose.

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