Consultation launched on County Council-run day services

Devon County Council are launching a consultation on the future of six day services across the county.

The Council currently operate ten in-house day care services at eight different sites across Devon. Since 2015, the number of eligible people accessing these in-house learning disability day services has reduced from 116 to 13 people today.

The learning disability day services at Lyric in Okehampton, Newholme in Honiton, Silverhill in Barnstaple, and Tumbly Hill in Kingsbridge, as well as its older people day services at Tumbly Hill, are currently not attended by anyone.

The learning disability day service at Rosalind House in Tiverton is currently required by one person.

We are asking people to have their say on whether we should continue operating these six day care services. The consultation can be found on Devon’s Have Your Say webpages.

A series of consultation meetings will also be held in the coming weeks:

• Monday 20 November, 10.30am-12.30pm, Tiverton Hotel, Tiverton
• Tuesday 21 November, 10.30am-12.30pm, The Beehive, Honiton
• Monday 27 November, 11am-1pm, Barnstaple Library
• Monday 4 December, 1.30pm-3.30pm, Kingsbridge Library
• Tuesday 5 December, 10.30am-12.30pm, Ockment Centre, Okehampton
• Tuesday 5 December, 6.30pm-8.30pm, Online consultation meeting

The Council are asking for views on five options:

1. To continue to operate all six of these in-house day services for five days per week.
2. To continue to operate all of these six in-house day services but operate some, or all of them, on a reduced number of days.
3. To continue to operate some of these six in-house day services for five days per week while ceasing to provide services completely from some of them. 
4. To continue to operate some of these six in-house day services on a reduced number of days but ceasing provision of services completely from some of them.
5. To cease providing day services from all six of these in-house day services.

Councillor James McInnes, Cabinet Member with responsibility for adult social care, said:

“Support to disabled people and older people is vitally important and our aim is for all adults in Devon that need care and support to be given choice and control in accessing the services they want, in the right location and at the best value for money.

“Day services provide a social and stimulating environment for people. As with other services they aim to increase a person’s independence and ultimately to reduce and delay the need for current or future services.

“In recent years, we’ve expanded the support for disabled people with our ‘Reaching for Independence’ service, which promotes and enables more access to everyday community services such as activities, transport, and employment opportunities.

“Growing demand, increasing complexity of need and higher than anticipated inflationary pressures however have imposed huge pressures on public services, and it’s therefore vital that we get best value out of every penny we spend.

“This consultation is a good opportunity for people to have their say on the options we’re considering for these six day care services in Devon and I would encourage people to let us know their views.”

The Council commission 81 independent sector providers, to deliver day services in Devon.  Around 480 people receive a day service in the county, through both commissioned and in house services.

No matter which option is decided upon for the services being consulted upon, we will continue to meet a person’s eligible needs, following a Care Act assessment and support plan.

The consultation will run until Sunday 31 December 2023. To book a place at any of the consultation meetings, visit the Have Your Say webpage. Full details about this consultation, including supporting documents, are available on our Have Your Say webpage.