14th June 2012

BRIDPORT: Consultation period on proposed day centre cuts

A SECOND round of consultations on proposed cuts to Bridport’s day care centres are set to start this Friday.

Opinions on almost £20,000 of cuts earmarked for the Riverside and Fisherman’s Arms day centres will be gauged during a month of public meetings.

The Fisherman’s Arms is facing a £12,500 shortfall and the Riverside could be hit with £6,100 cuts, according to initial proposals agreed by members of Dorset County Council (DCC) cabinet committee in May.

The committee reviewed the plans for day centres before agreeing to give the go-ahead for further consultation.

DCC aims to save £600,000 in the next two years across the county through staff reduction by cutting vacant hours and the reconfiguration of staff to make services more viable.

The county council currently operates 24-day centres with a total of 922 places per day at a cost of around £6.5m each year.

The proposals were drawn up to ensure local day services offer good value and can cater for people’s needs in the future, according to the county council.

But Bridport councillors have expressed concerns about the proposals.

Town and county Councillor Karl Wallace said he had received mixed information about the cuts.

He said: “There seems to be some confusion. Council officers are saying there will be cuts but councillor Andrew Cattaway [DCC cabinet member for adult social care] is saying there won’t.

“At this stage I’m concerned that, although there’s reassurance there will not be any cuts, with the economic climate things can change very rapidly.”

He added: “I think they need to invest in day services more than ever before because of the demographic. People are living longer and people retire and move to this area, but we need appropriate resources in place.

“I would be cynical if any other outside bodies took on the services. Personally I think the NHS should take over adult social care because I think they have all the appropriate skills and carers already.”

Councillor Cattaway said in May: “We know that day services are highly valued and make a vital contribution to meeting people’s needs.

“We want to ensure these services can be maintained and developed for the future and that they are in line with people’s needs.”

• A Learning Disability and Vocational Services User and Carer Consultation meeting will take place at Bridport Day Centre on June 15th, from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

BRIDPORT: Consultation period on proposed day centre cuts

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