Alternative use to be found for care centre (From Your Local Guardian)

Alternative use to be found for care centre

7:50am Friday 17th February 2012 in Sutton

Gaynesford Lodge Day Centre in Carshalton closed its doors to the public at the end of 2011.

Care services for the elderly provided at a once popular day centre have been formally terminated, following a meeting of the council executive.

Gaynesford Lodge Day Centre, in Carshalton, closed its doors to the public at the end of 2011.

At a meeting of Sutton Council’s decision-making body, the executive, on Monday, February 6, councillors agreed to find an alternative use for the building, formally ending its use for social care.

The council has claimed use of the centre dropped considerably after changes to care budgets gave people more choice on how to spend money allocated to them.

The council has said it meant people were choosing alternative activities away from the centre, making the requirement for Gaynesford significantly reduced while running costs increased.

But the decision to close the centre was unpopular with staff and residents who still used it, who said it was a valuable resource.

Councillor Colin Stears, executive member for adult social services at Sutton Council, told the meeting: “I must say regarding Gaynesford Lodge, it’s a building, it’s not closing in terms of shutting down, it’s just not going to be used for social care anymore.

“People don’t want to go to a stereotypical model of a day centre service. Only eight people took up the service in the past year.”

Closing the lodge will save the council £95,000 a year as it looks to make a saving of £10.93m from its adult social service and housing budgets in the next few years.