NSPCC centre users, left to right, Iwona Read with daughter Natalya, Trudi Hurel with daughter Candy and Lisa Burtenshaw with son Harry. (0860026)

GUERNSEY’S NSPCC centre could close within months.

The charity has been based in Trinity Court, Park Street, for five years. Seven full-time staff stand to lose their job as well as five other part-time social workers.

The news has saddened staff and users, including members of the mother and toddler group who meet at the centre three times a week.

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children divisional director Peter Liver said the proposal had come after a three-month process and review.

‘Over the last eight or nine years, we have wanted to focus our efforts on key areas,’ he said. ‘We want to reduce the number of properties we have where staff are working with children and to locate our staff primarily where there are the most children in the higher density areas. Clearly, Guernsey doesn’t fit with that as there is a relatively small group of children who use the centre.’

Last year, 1,946 children attended the centre in St Peter Port, whether it was for therapy or for the mother and toddler group. A total of 1,477 adults also attended.

Mr Liver said the closure could happen any time before 31 March.

‘We want to make sure that we make the right decision and we will respond to any feedback and reports from staff or others. We have allowed a relatively broad scale for this.’

The centre costs £400,000 a year to run. As well as offering therapy for children affected by abuse and the mother and toddler group, it also chairs child protection conferences for the Health and Social Services Department.