Staff working at Lambeth’s only dedicated day care centre for people living with dementia have begun their first day of strike action as they battle to protect jobs and stop the site from closing.
Unison members from the Day Centre on the Central Hill Estate in Crystal Palace began strike action on Thursday morning (May 14) after a vote to strike saw a 90 per cent turnout.
Current carers and those who have used the service in the past, as well as members from the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) and some of the borough’s Green councillors took to the picket line to show their support for striking Unison members.
Lambeth Council intends to move existing services at the day centre in Crystal Palace to Aspire Wellbeing Centre in West Norwood, a nearby organisation which currently works with adults with learning difficulties.
Cllr David Bridson, then-Cabinet Member for Healthier Communities, previously said the building at Central Hill had fallen into “significant disrepair” and attendance had dropped.
However an anonymous staff member told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Thursday that referrals have been closed for the past 18 months which has resulted in a reduced attendance.
Speaking from the picket line, they said: “[The day centre] is a valuable, dementia-friendly building and we want it to remain open. We want our referrals to be reopened because they’ve been closed for 18 months now, which has reduced the [number of] people that attend.
“We had about 50-odd people on our books, it’s gone down to about 24 now, and that’s because no referrals are coming in. We’ve got the space to grow the service again and the reason why they [the council] were keeping it on hold is they didn’t want to open it up to new people because when we move into the new building it would be quite confusing for them.”
Concerns have also been raised over the proposed new venue for the service, which is set to be in a “single room” which backs onto an open car park.
The staff member said: “Throughout this consultation, we’ve asked things about the new place that we’re supposed to move into. Where we’ve [currently] got a whole building, we’ve been allocated one room at Aspire.
“The only door to come in and out of our one room opens up onto an active car park and that is one of our big safety issues. We’re so concerned that it hasn’t even been considered, it’s an active car park with an open gate.”
They added: “When you’re supporting people with dementia who routinely want to leave the building and go home, they only have to slip out of that door which has been done many times.
“That’s why we’ve got a very specialist alarm system here, but if there’s no alarm system and they go out that door, they’re into an active car park where buses are manoeuvring around this small car park and the gates are constantly open. That is a big red flag and is alarm bells for us.”
A council spokesperson previously told the LDRS a “small number” of job roles could be at risk because of the proposed changes, but added they were looking at redeployment opportunities within adult social care services.
The staff member told our reporter people are in fear of losing their jobs because there are only three posts available at the new venue for the six current workers. Other workers who are set to lose their jobs include a cook, a manager and a facilities officer.
They added: “We want our referral list opened, we want the building to stay and we want the staffing to stay – those are the things that we really want. This is all for the sake of the people who use our service.
“It’s so important that people who live with dementia have something like this and their families have something like this, where people know they can leave their mum or dad or uncle. They know they’re safe for the day. They know they can then relax and get on with their day.”
According to a report from the Alzheimer’s Society, there are currently estimated to be 982,000 people with dementia in the UK, but more than a third of people with the condition do not have a diagnosis. The number is expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040.
Simon Hannah, joint branch secretary of Lambeth Unison, said: “Lambeth Council have run down this service to save money which is a crying shame for the people of Lambeth.
“It is the only dedicated day centre for people with dementia where their carers can also get some respite from 24/7 care. Staff are dedicated to helping local residents and want to save jobs and ensure a quality service. Management needs to come to the table with realistic alternatives that ensure the local service is sustainable.”
The LDRS understands Unison members could take part in further strike action towards the end of the month.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson previously told the LDRS: “The council recognises the important role day activities has for our Lambeth Adult Social Care service users and their families, across the borough as a whole.
“It is important to note the Lambeth dementia day service is not being closed. The provision is being relocated and there will continue to be a borough-wide dementia day service; which will operate from the Aspire Wellbeing Centre in West Norwood, rather than from its current site at Central Hill.”
They said the service will be available for all Lambeth residents who require a dementia day service, and there will be no reduction in the current service offer to those people who are currently attending it. They said transport will be provided where needed.
The spokesperson added: “There has been considerable engagement and consultation held during the period of the day services review over the past year, and leading up to the start of the formal staff consultation from February 11, 2026.
“Alongside service users and carers this has included regular discussion with staff and with trade union representatives. We have continued to offer trade union colleagues time and the opportunity to discuss with us further.”
