Parents upset as day centres shut

Parents and carers are angry at the closure of two day care centres for people with learning disabilities.

Worcestershire County Council decided to shut Pershore Centre and Worcester's Perryfields Centre at a meeting following a three-month consultation.

John Bradley, whose son Mark, 38, goes to the Pershore Centre, said he was "very disappointed" at the decision. The council says the centres are not financially viable and are under occupied, one having only four users.

But Mr Bradley said that parents and carers had raised money to help develop the Pershore Centre and wanted to save it. He said: "I don't think they [the council] have considered all the aspects and they should do. We've already given £29,000 to social services as a cash grant to help develop the site."

The decision to close the two centres was made at a cabinet meeting on Friday. The council has been considering the future of the two day centres, along with that of Cherry Orchard in Worcester.

It said numbers at the three centres had fallen and there was now "significant under occupancy in each". The council also said Pershore only supported people with profound learning disabilities which was "inconsistent" with other day centres. These provided an integrated service for people with varying levels of disability which was felt to be more beneficial.

The majority of people who use the Perryfield or Pershore centres will be relocated to the service at Cherry Orchard. A council spokesman said: "Cherry Orchard has been recommended as the best of the three sites as it can provide a broad range of day services consistent with the government's idea of a modern learning disability service. It has already established relations with the local community and these can be maximised."