Day care’s threatened (From Evesham Journal)

Day care’s threatened

8:00am Saturday 18th February 2012 in News By Sarah Taylor

CHANGES to day care services for people with learning difficulties across Wychavon could see the closure of Evesham Day Centre.

A pilot scheme, which is being rolled out at Evesham Day Centre on Davies Road and Kingfields Day Centre on Ledwych Road in 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 which they will be able to spend as they choose.

The overhaul of the day care services will save £1.3million a year, which is 29 per cent of the overall day care budget.

Adam Russell, lead joint commissioning manager of learning disabilities service, 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 In the 21st century the general view is that is an out-of-date way.”

As part of the proposals, 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.

“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 less resource can get more bang for their buck by buying it in the local community.”