Concern over future of care home

People with learning disabilities and their carers are calling on Cornwall County Council not to close their day care centre. The Blantyre Centre in St Austell is one of a number of sites earmarked for possible closure as the council bids to improve its adult social care services.

The county council says no decision has yet been taken on the future of the Blantyre Centre. It added that all those involved will be consulted on any changes.

Di Marsh's daughter Carole has severe learning disabilities and they have been using the day care centre at Blantyre - which up to 100 people use on a daily basis - for 26 years. "To think that they might close - well it's bad," Mrs Marsh. "What Carol would do I don't know - I don't know what I would do."

The county council is in the process of reviewing its adult social care services and where possible it says it wants to integrate people with learning disabilities into the community. Scott Hall from Cornwall Adult Social Care said: "It's about helping people have valued lifestyles and do the things they want to do and we need to be working on people's aspirations and their needs."

If Blantyre is to close it is unlikely to happen for three or four years but families and carers say they are prepared to fight to keep the centre open if they have to.

Reg Broad from East Cornwall Mencap said: "People with learning disability in their families are hard to beat.

"The way we both win is by producing something better than we've got within the costings that are given."