Support boost for people with learning disabilities

Day centres and respite care provision in key locations across the county will benefit from a £7.7m scheme, that was approved by North Yorkshire County Council’s executive on Tuesday.

The announcement has come even though the authority is being forced to make £69m in savings over the next four years as a result of Government spending cutbacks.

It will be coupled with the introduction of personal budgets to help people with learning disabilities live independently,

County Councillor Clare Wood, executive member for health and adult services, said the investment demonstrated the council’s commitment to supporting the most vulnerable people in society.

She said: “Despite the extremely difficult financial constraints under which we are operating, we believe that this work is essential – not only to improve the general level of care and support, but also to create a service which provides consistently high standards in every part of this very large county.”

The existing service has differing standards across the county and includes a number of buildings which are unable to meet the needs of people with complex needs. In some cases they are in urgent need of modernisation.

Selby, Scarborough, and Craven have been pin-pointed as needing development to bring their facilities up to date.

In Selby the council will spend about £3.8m remodelling Selby Day Activity Centre.

Amongst the proposed improvements are a residential four-bed respite unit with a lounge and a garden and the creation of a day centre for people with complex physical needs. It will include facilities that can be used by local disabled people.

In the Craven area, the existing five-bed respite facility at Gargrave House will be replaced by the new purpose-built Croft House, in Skipton, costing about £1.4m.

The council will spend £2.4m redeveloping the Elder Street resource in Scarborough. New facilities will include day care for people with learning disabilities. The new development will replace Scarborough Training Centre and Burnside facilities.

A consultation with users of the facilities and their carers will be carried out before the plans are finalised.