02 October 2018
Children in Jersey will benefit from a newly refurbished Child Development and Therapy Centre, after major refurbishment work at the William Knott Centre. The centre will be officially opened by the Children’s Commissioner, Deborah McMillan, and His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Stephen Dalton and Lady Dalton will visit the refurbished centre tomorrow.
The Child Development and Therapy Centre provides a range of services for children including Speech and Language Therapy (SLT), Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Family Care Coordination and Community Short Breaks.
The new centre, which now incorporates a colourful sensory room as well as consulting rooms, office space and a staff area, is in the William Knott building. This was named after an Islander who left money to the Island for the establishment of a centre for children.
Children’s Minister Senator Sam Mézec said: “I am delighted to see the opening of the Children Development and Therapy Centre. It is a significant day for Jersey as it means more children and their families can now access the services they need, all under one roof in a child-friendly environment.”
Children’s Commissioner, Deborah McMillan, added: “It’s an honour to have been invited to open the Child Development and Therapy Centre. Article 23 of the UNCRC states that: ‘A child with a disability has the right to live a full and decent life with dignity and, as far as possible, independence and to play an active part in the community. Governments must do all they can to support disabled children and their families.’
“This new facility is a significant step towards putting children with complex needs at the centre of the support services designed to help them reach their potential, and I’d like to congratulate all those involved in its development.”
The refurbishment was project managed by the Department of Growth, Housing and Environment and the work was undertaken by Hacquoil & Cook Building Contractors.
Richard Cheal, of Jersey Property Holdings, said: “The building now offers an excellent standard of accommodation for clients and staff and has enabled other obsolete buildings at Overdale to be closed. We'd like to express our thanks to the design team and contractor for delivering a great building.”
This project formed part of the programme of work at Overdale associated with the Future Hospital project. This included work on Samarés Ward, which provides rehabilitation care, and the Eva Wilson Centre, which houses the Occupational Therapy Department and Hearing Resource Centre.
Shane Jennings, Acting Head of Service, added: “All staff at the Child Development and Therapy Centre are delighted that we now have a purpose built, child-friendly building. This has strengthened the link between services, allowing more integrated support for children and families who use the centre.”
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