The Nest in Peckham, which provides mental health and wellbeing support for young people, was also saved from closure
An emotional carer for her husband said “thank you” through tears as Southwark Council reversed the closure of a dementia advice service.
Southwark’s Dementia Advisor service, which has existed in the borough for over 20 years, closed on June 30 but will now reopen in September following council intervention. It’s one of two “vital” services to have been saved from closure, alongside The Nest, a highly-valued mental health service based in Peckham which has helped thousands of young people.
That service was at risk of closing down in November due to a lack of funding but has been protected for the future.
The announcements came during the first executive meeting of Southwark Council’s new Green-Lib Dem joint administration on Monday (July 20) after Labour lost control of the authority in May’s elections.
The executive heard from Judith, who is the sole carer for her husband who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in November 2022.
Speaking through tears, Judith said: “Clearly you should think of me as one dementia carer out of at least 2,000 in Southwark – many of whom are further along the line on this difficult journey than we are.
“When St Thomas’ Hospital diagnosed my husband, I was given an enormous pack of leaflets about all aspects of the disease and that was it. We have not heard from them since and I did not know where to turn locally for advice and support.”
She went on to say: “Web searches and the documents from the hospital never seemed to answer the questions I had. I was surprised at myself because I’ve always been a person who can solve problems and my own problems without needing to ask for help and hand-holding, but this is a completely new and frightening situation and I felt very lost.
“All I can say is thank you for agreeing to continue with the Dementia Advisors because they are so, so important.”
In response, Cllr Corn said: “Dementia affects whole families, not just individuals. Support services [offer] vital support and are sometimes a lifeline. I understand why people have taken up this issue so passionately, this is about dignity and it’s about ensuring support.
“As a disabled person myself, I know the indignity and delay there is in accessing services and support and as someone who has spent many years campaigning against cuts to disability support, I also know how frightening it is to experience that uncertainty.”
The Nest was originally fully funded by the council, but had been partly funded by the NHS since 2023. The funding contract ran out in May of this year and in the lead up to it, the council had been holding discussions with the South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB) – responsible for commissioning NHS services in the area – about future funding.
When the contracted ended in May, it was revealed in the meeting that the previous Labour administration had made no provision for an extension, and a decision would have been needed in February or March of this year in order to establish a new contract so the service could continue.
Cllr Rebecca Corn, Executive Member for Education and Care, said: “Child mental health is an absolute priority.
“We continue to believe that the NHS is the right long-term partner for this service, the NHS has responsibility for children’s and young people’s mental health and The Nest has shown that it improves outcomes for young people. Increasingly, NHS colleagues have been referring young people to The Nest.”
She added: “Our priority is to protect the service, prevent its closure and ensure that self-referrals and referrals reopen as soon as possible and without any unnecessary delay.”
Later on in the meeting, three young Southwark residents shared their personal experiences from using The Nest, and thanked the council from saving it from closing.
The Dementia Advisor service will reopen and will receive a £164,000 grant per year, for the next four years. The grant will go to the Alzheimer’s Society, which will start from September 1, 2026.
Cllr Suzanne Wise, Deputy Executive Member for Adult Services, said the Dementia Advisor service grant came to an end under the previous Labour administration, and that the new administration was made aware of it relatively recently.
Cllr Wise said: “Since taking on responsibility as the Deputy Executive Member for Adult Services, I’ve looked carefully at the concerns raised by residents, carers and other stakeholders.
“There is obviously a growing need for dementia services as our population ages and we’re committed to ensuring residents can access the support they need, which is why I’m so pleased that we have been able to bring forward proposals to fund ongoing Dementia Advisor support.”
She added: “We are looking at this service with new eyes and want to provide as inclusive a service as we possibly can.
“One thing I think we should consider and we will talk to the Alzheimer’s Society about, is recruiting a Spanish-speaking Dementia Advisor which would specifically be there to support our large Latin American population.”
Cllr Corn added: “During Disability Pride Month, I am incredibly proud that we are protecting our Dementia Advisor service through the Alzheimer’s Society.”
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