Howard Street Community Health Centre - Burnley

Lian Pate

Attended the PIP assessment centre, not the community centre. It's not easy to find as it's called Howard St but isn't on Howard St, so had to give my anxious client a lot of reassurance on directions. Fortunately I've used the place before so I know this, but I can see how this would cause all sorts of problems for some people. Part of the car park was flooded and I don't think the signs were very clear for a first time user. Especially the brown direction signs on the road.

Building is very clinical and plan. Water is served up on the counter in jugs that are used in hospital wards. I thought this was wholy uneccessary and had the potential to set people on edge. Would have been better with a cooler or dispenser, or even just not a hospital jug. The interview rooms were fairly small clinical rooms, felt like doctors surgery rooms, again I felt it gave the wrong impression, as though you were being seen by a doctor.

Interview was over half hour late starting and ran over by 20 minutes. I think it would have been more helpful if they had provided the questions prior (I assume everyone gets asked similar anyway) as the person I was supporting got upset and flustered that there were things they couldn't remember and would have written down if they knew it was needed. This was mostly what caused the 20 min overrun and was painful to watch.

Some language along the lines of you did really well" was used. I understood that to mean you coped very well with the assessment t despite being anxious. He took it as a judgement on his performance towards the assessment. Now he's seeing things online that he thinks he misses and is thinking the assessor is lying to him. Really not helpful, as nice as she was, because we now have weeks of dealing with this anxiety and worry and paranoia whilst we wait for the results.

Overall, could have been a lot worse as a place to go for an assessment that isn't pleasant in the first place!

Edgar

Small but cosy place. Staff were very understanding and accomodating. I had an assessment there and I could feel at ease. Not a clinical, cold environment like in some of these places.

richard little

Very run down area. Didn't feel safe at all. Surprised my car was still in one peice when I came out of interview. Not good at all

Angela Pickard

Its very formal bland basic no mags to read and the staff had to bring jug of water and cups no where to get warm drink or take your mind of why your there it makes you forget things or more nervous as nothing watch or read it might only be for interview but being on naughty step wud be better

NIKU TIKAH

Bad place horrible lady called Andrea stead she didn't even know that I worked for government knowing that the person I went with mental health and under new law a carer can help a mental health patient but she was saying that I couldn't support him so when the mental health patient got aggressive towards her I told her for not provoke him or forcefully ask him questions,but she didn't listen,and she got aggressive abuse from him,this was all Andrea Stead fault what a shame that this lady was very unprofessional and didn't listen to me and then she was about to get physical abuse with the mental health patient.

Dan Smith

2 fists later and my insides feel like they've been rail roads by a silver back gorilla

Tony Igoe

Good little health ctr.... unfortunately the pavement outside is frequented by every dog in the neighbourhood.... its like frogger getting back to your car.. #dogseggsaplenty

Sarah Potter

Turned up to find my appt had been cancelled fumin I was