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

HEALTH will need more money if it is to ‘fill the gaps’ left when the NSPCC pulls out of Guernsey, the department has warned.

The charity announced at the end of October that it planned to close down its operations in Guernsey to focus on key areas in the UK.

Following the announcement a consultation period to gauge feedback ended on Thursday and it is understood a spokesman will come to the island on 17 December to give local staff the final decision. However, the drop-in centre for mothers and toddlers will shut this Thursday.

At the time of the announcement, Health said it would investigate whether it could replace some of the services offered by the charity.

A spokesman said yesterday that the department had assessed where it believed it could help, but warned that the department’s existing budget would not cover the extra costs.

‘The NSPCC is the main provider of a dedicated post-abuse therapeutic service and, while it would be possible for the HSSD to provide this work, it would require additional resources to be allocated,’ he said.

‘The NSPCC also provides a universal family support service for parents/carers of children aged 0-5 years, which provides play, support and advice to a wide range of families. This is again something that HSSD could provide, but which again would require additional resources that the department does not currently possess.