Day centre to be closed

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington have decided to close the ageing Dallam Day Centre at the end of the year.
Current users with the most complex needs will be transferred to the Gorse Covert Day Centre at Birchwood, which is to receive a £300,000 facelift.
Others will be able to use alternative community facilities, such as those at the new Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub.
The decision follows widespread consultation – and is one of two moves to change the way adult social services will be delivered in Warrington in future.
Dallam Day Centre, in Dallam Lane, will the third to close in the borough in the last three years.
Orford Day Centre closed in 2009 and Penketh Day Centre last year.
Service users at Dallam disagreed with the closure plan. But there was also a general acceptance that closure had been discussed for a number of years and that Gorse Covert offered more specialist facilities.
There was also concern that the future of the Gorse Covert centre itself.
Council chiefs admit they cannot offer a guarantee in the current economic climate that a review of the use of Gorse Covert will not be required, it is intended that the investment and development of the centre will provide a unique and specialist service not available elsewhere in the borough.
Currently, 45 people attend Dallam, 59 attend Gorse Covert and 66 attend community venues.
It is thought about nine people who will need specialised support at Gorse Covert when Dallam closes and the rest will be able to use new and existing community based venues.
The council is also changing the eligibility threshold for adult social care support.
Since 2003, the authority supported everyone with moderate, substantial and critical needs in the town. But from October, only those with substantial and critical needs will receive care services funded directly by the council.
This should save the council about £700,000 in the current year and about £2.3 million in a full year.
Cllr Pat Wright (pictured), the borough council’s executive member for health and wellbeing services at the council said: “Everybody recognises the scale of the financial cuts we face from the government combined with the increasing demand for services in this area as the local population ages means that we have to make difficult decisions.
“In the future our overriding priority will be helping people lead independent lives whilst targeting vital support to the most vulnerable. We’ll be looking to do this by innovating, thinking differently and being more flexible.
“This is a difficult decision to take and not one we have taken lightly. Any changes will be carefully and sensitively managed on an individual case-by-case basis. We will also look to work with partners to support and signpost people with moderate or short-term needs to alternative providers in their local area such as community groups and charities.”