Future care arrangements for the users of a Dundee adult learning centre earmarked for closure could be revealed next month, says the city’s social work convener.
Councillor Ken Lynn has confirmed that a consultation with service users of the Kemback Street Day Centre has almost been completed, with the findings set to be put before the local authority’s social work committee next month.
Plans to close the centre, which Dundee City Council says has been used less in recent years, have prompted an outcry and resulted in a city centre demonstration earlier this month.
However, Mr Lynn is adamant that those who use the centre will receive a more personalised service in future.
”The series of one-to-one meetings with service users has largely been completed,” he said. ”There are two outstanding home visits, which are scheduled and are about to be held.
”The social work department will then begin preparing a detailed summary of the outcomes of these consultations, which will focus on the types of support individual service users need.
”This will include the continued option of day care.”
The centre is currently open five days a week and provides a place for adults with learning disabilities to socialise and learn new skills.
Plans to close the centre were confirmed back in March and an online petition in protest secured over 1,000 signatures.
The council is adamant closing the centre is not a move motivated by saving money and that users will have their needs met.
”My ambition is to bring about more flexibility to the kind of support available to adults with learning disabilities in the city and ensure this is more personalised to the needs of the individual,” said Mr Lynn.
”I believe this move towards giving people more choice to build the care package they need is the right direction to take and will improve their quality of life.
”As more opportunities for personalised support have been taken up in recent years, we have seen fewer people using Kemback Street.
”Our motivation is to ensure that service users have the most appropriate form of support in keeping with their needs and our policy gives people with a learning disability more control over their lives.
”I look forward to discussing the outcomes of the one-to-one meetings at the October meeting of the social work committee.”