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LEARNING DISABILITY DAY SERVICES IN POOLE

Providing the most appropriate, local care is the key to new discussions on developing care for people with learning disabilities in Poole. A report to the Social Services Committee on 16 July will address this opportunity.

"Our service to people with learning disabilities includes developing access to job opportunities, education and leisure in the same way as for other members of the public. These opportunities occur within the wider community and our service needs to embrace this and open up wider opportunities," said Cllr Jane James, Chairman of the Social Services Committee.

Currently the learning disability day service is based in two buildings in Poole – Lodge Hill and Sea View – which serve residents from Bournemouth, Dorset as well as Poole.

This involves a significant amount of travelling just to get to the centre and means that the service tends to be building-led rather than making the most of the opportunities offered within the whole community.

Like the Borough of Poole, Dorset and Bournemouth Councils have expressed a clear intention to provide care nearer to people’s homes. This will result in a decrease in the numbers of service users attending Poole’s day centres.

Cllr James added: "Poole needs to plan ahead and cannot assume the same level of service usage (and therefore funding) from outside the Borough. This means the viability of the two centres in Poole must be examined among the options for change.

"The committee is being asked to agree that a prerequisite of any change is that the level of support to service users and carers will not decrease.

"Service users, carers and staff will be reassured that services will continue to be provided uninterrupted whilst options for the future are examined."

The development of a detailed implementation plan for future learning disability day service provision in Poole will be undertaken by consulting with service users, neighbouring Councils and other agencies.

Social Services Committee Members are being recommended to support this process and take part in the consultation process themselves.

The options available to ensure the improved delivery of services for people with learning disabilities in the Borough will be reported to the Committee in January 1999 after full consultation has taken place.



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Charlie Sheldrick, Head of Adult Social Services (Provider): 01202 261030