Controversial reform of disability services in Glasgow includes plan to shut three day centres

Glasgow Council’s executive committee has approved plans to reform services for disabled people, which have been described as having the potential to rapidly change services.

The Public Social Partnership is one of the main aspects of the approved plans which will allow service users to be in charge of their own budgets, giving them greater flexibility in the design of their individualised care packages in partnership with carers and service providers.

Councillor Matt Kerr, executive member for Social Care, said; "We have looked at the consultation responses very carefully and I am convinced that what we have planned is the right way ahead. These plans will put service users and carers at the very heart of the effort to modernise our learning disability day services.”

However, over the next 12 months, the plans require three day centres to close, leaving only four centres remaining open. It is planned that service users will undergo assessments for personal budgets and care plans, to ensure that users will not leave their day centres until they have their own care plan for how to deal with the future in place.

300 Family carers controversially voted to not be included in the Public Social Partnership because of fears that accepting the partnership will show an acceptance of the closure of the day centres, which family members do not want to do.

Ian Hood of the Learning Disability Alliance Scotland said, “Public Social Partnerships are an interesting way of making sure that representatives of voluntary organisations, carers and services users are represented within the commissioning process. They have worked very well in some areas.

“However the situation in Glasgow is particularly difficult right now. Since Glasgow has decided to shut the 3 day centres on the basis of a very poor consultation, many carers and service users have become suspicious of anything the council suggests.

“Many are opposed to taking part in a Public Social Partnership as long as the decision to close the day centres has been made in advance. They are concerned about how genuine a partnership can be if they have been excluded from the decisions that led up to it.”

The consultation has highlighted an important £3m which is currently being spent on inefficient transport that will now be retained within the social care work budget, and guaranteed that there will be no cuts in care budgets for people who currently use day centres.

It has been anticipated that of the 500 current day centre users, only 200 people will remain registered users after the reform. The Public Social Partnership will see more people taking part in community based activities and moving away from traditional day centre services.

Glasgow council have benefitted from the charity ENABLE Scotland’s support in the growth and development of the Public Social Partnership, and the project has been boosted by the news that funding from the Scottish Government will help to implement the reform.

Speaking about the partnership between charity ENABLE Scotland and Glasgow Council, Peter Scott, chief executive of ENABLE Scotland said: “As we have consistently stated, the views and wishes of the individuals and their families involved in the modernisation of day services in Glasgow must be at the heart of this Public Social Partnership.

“We are hugely encouraged by the commitment made by the Scottish Government to support the PSP between ENABLE Scotland and Glasgow City Council. We believe this partnership will ensure that the people who currently access traditional day services are leading and directing the redesign of new support alternatives which will essentially enhance the effective implementation of SDS and we are very pleased that the Scottish Government is backing this initiative.”

Mr Kerr championed the reforms, saying: "The Scottish Government's plans for self-directed support mean the way social care is delivered is going to change. Tackling this issue now and planning carefully for the future is the correct thing to do.

"I fully understand that the effort to modernise our day service represents a big change and that people can feel nervous. But service users who have already moved on from day centres make it clear they do not want to go back. With the right support in place, they have relished having more control over their lives."