Day centres could be lost in shake-up

A pilot scheme which is being rolled out at Evesham Day Centre in Davies Road and Kingfields Day Centre in Ledwych Road, Droitwich, will see service users move away from the centres into more community-based activities and training.

By next year, service users could have allocated personal budgets that they will be able to spend as they choose.

The overhaul of the day care services will save £1.3 million a year which is 29 per cent of the overall day care budget. Adam Russell, lead joint commissioning manager of learning disabilities service at Worcestershire County Council, said: “This is all part of the drive for the local authority to deliver the Government’s over-arching policy called Valuing People Now. It is about allowing people to live ordinary lives in their local communities.

“In the past, we have delivered services which collect people together. In the 21st century, the general view is that is an out-of-date way.”

This also comes at a time when Worcestershire County Council is on a drive to cut its budget by up to £70 million by 2015 as a result of reduced government funding. As part of the proposed scheme there will be centrally positioned hubs providing a venue for people to socialise between activities, which they will choose themselves.

Until the success of the pilot is determined, these hubs will exist within the current buildings.

“The idea of the learning disability hubs is they will be a safe and social hub with support, hopefully, for extended hours,” said Mr Russell.

“Service users should, by 2013, have a personal budget which they will manage themselves and can spend how they choose.

“The local authority has been the provider and we are a relatively expensive service provider so we know people even with fewer resources can get better value by buying it in the local community.

“The idea is we will take advantage of what the community has to offer, rather than only offering what is in one building.”