More services for elderly to be axed in Norfolk

More details emerged yesterday of how day centres for some of the most vulnerable people in Norfolk are to be shut or revamped in a bid to slash more than £10m in social services spending and target care to those most in need.

The EDP has previously reported that Norfolk County Council plans to shut three council-run day centres – the Essex Rooms and Silver Rooms in Norwich and Hempnall Mill.

Yesterday County Hall revealed that the remaining 12 will shift towards focusing on more specialist support for people with dementia and those who need re-ablement help to get back on their feet.

The council is also looking at shutting nine day centres for people with learning difficulties.

Critics said the plans were savage and feared that people would be left in the lurch.

But the authority said alternatives would be in place, and many of the measures were long planned as part of the government’s modernisation of the service.

The adult social services depart-ment is proposing the cuts package as it battles to cope with rising demand for services and a fall in government grant which could leave the authority facing a £140m funding gap.

The rising numbers of older people and those with learning difficulties has seen costs go up by £15.9m and the department will only get £4.1m to cover inflation. A £9.4m cuts package has been put forward but bosses will still have to find as yet unidentified cuts of £2.5m.

Budgets are also tight as the ruling Tories are committed to implement-ing a council tax freeze in two of the next four years.

The biggest chunk of the savings will come from the Learning Difficulties Budget which has been earmarked for around £7m of cuts in the next two years including £600,000 through closing nine day centres and moving to a community-based system of support.

Savings of around £719,000 are expected as new block contracts for private home care providers come on stream and the authority is also seeking to save £500,000 through renegotiating some of the costlier care packages it funds.

Other cuts plans include:

Charging for day care – £250,000.

Tearing up contracts with the voluntary sector that no longer fit corporate objectives – £200,000.

Scrapping the bathing service subsidy – £54,000.

Opposition parties condemned the proposals, while Conservatives in Norwich including new MP Chloe Smith and city council group leader are also against plans to close the city-based day centres.

Yesterday the EDP reported how the MP collected signatures on a petition to save the Silver Rooms with 72-year-old Barbara Wiltshire, of Norwich.

James Joyce, Lib Dem spokesman for adult social care said: “You cannot just shut something and leave people without a service.

Labour’s George Nobbs said the cuts were savage and flew in the face of the Conservative’s pledge not to hit the front line.

David Harwood, cabinet member for adult social services, said the dire state of the public finances meant that change was inevitable.

“We need to make changes – and the inescapable fact is that we must concentrate on helping those who need our help the most, such as vulnerable older people, people with dementia and people with disabilities,” he said.

Members of the adult social services review panel will discuss the plans next Tuesday.