Shropshire Council to consult on its learning disability services in Bridgnorth

Shropshire Council will soon be seeking people’s views on the future of learning disability services in the south east of the county.

Supporting people with a learning disability to live in their own homes with a tenancy is a priority for the council. Therefore it is currently identifying land or buildings in south east Shropshire which could be used for this purpose.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult services – transformation and safeguarding, said:

“Many people with a learning disability live with older carers, and securing suitable additional properties for people to move onto in the future will be of the upmost importance.”

One proposal the council is putting forward is that the building currently used for day services at Innage Lane could be used for supported living. This would mean that the Innage Lane building would close as a day service; however, the day service would be provided from another location which could be the nearby youth centre building, which would be in addition to the existing evening use.

Some of the current users of the service at Innage Lane also use the service provided by Oak Farm in Ditton Priors. The council is considering who will provide these services in the future, in line with its objective of being a commissioner rather than a direct provider of services.

Lee Chapman added:

“The council has every intention of continuing to provide excellent day opportunities in Bridgnorth. However, the services we deliver must be sustainable. A balance must also be found with providing these and creating homes for people who need them.

“We have some ideas about how we can do this, but we are really keen to hear from those who use the services, as well as their carers, to ensure a bright and successful future.”

A meeting for current users and carers of these services will take place on Thursday 4 June 2015 from 10.30am until 12pm at The Youth Centre in Bridgnorth.