A £1 MILLION investment will see two new community homes for adults with learning difficulties built in the Douglas area.
And in another move, the Eastcliffe Resource Centre will be closed within the next three years and a new day centre built.
The measures were unveiled as Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw MHK outlined plans to develop services for people with leaning difficulties.
He said with people living longer, there was an increasing demand for services provided by his department – including those with a learning difficulty.
The minister said a programme to rebalance adult services would include projects focused on increasing the choice and range of respite services, the growth and development of the supported living service and the modernising of day services.
He said: ‘I am pleased that my department is continuing to develop our services to meet changing need.
‘Demand for learning disability services has increased over recent years and the needs and aspirations of services users and their families have changed.
‘We have addressed these changes and will continue to ensure our services are meeting those needs and avoid the long term increase in the provision of more, traditional and expensive models of support.’
This month the Department Social Care will launch a new respite service focused on providing short term or holiday breaks for adults with a learning disability.
The main purpose of this service will be to provide alternatives to the traditional model of overnight residential respite. It will consist of days or evenings out, and overnight or weekends away that will be based on the choice and needs of the individual – and will provide respite for families and carers.
Mr Robertshaw said that over the next three years his department would embark on a £1 million capital programme, which will include the construction of two new purpose built community homes.
These new homes would provide residential accommodation to adults with complex learning and physical disabilities and enable the department to focus its attention on increasing current capacity for respite care. He said the two homes would be build next to each other at a site in the Douglas area.
The department currently has 21 community homes/units providing residential and respite care.
Improvements in the standards of care since the closure of Ballamona hospital have resulted in individuals enjoying a rich and more varied lifestyle – and a greater desire to live more independently.
Mr Robertshaw said his department was planning over the next three years to expand the Supported Living Service which supports adults with a learning disability in their own home.
He said at present his department was able to offer a limited day service at its Eastcliffe Resource Centre.
However, the department would be working with its third sector partners to modernise the way day services for adults with a learning disability have traditionally been delivered.
He said this will involve the construction of a new day centre, again in the greater Douglas area.
Eastcliffe would ultimately be closed within the next three years, Mr Robertshaw confirmed.