Day care centre to take a modern approach as part of a major shake-up of services

LORNE day centre in Oban is making progress since an inspection in January 2015, but a report given to councillors last week said the pace of change is ‘frustrating’ for service users, writes Louise Glen.

Members of the community and resources committee of Argyll and Bute council were told the learning disabilities centre will be moving towards providing a modern service.

Comparing the inspection grades of adult learning disabilities services between Oban and the rest of Argyll, Lorne day centre is the lowest performing in all areas including care and support, staffing, environment and management and leadership.

The report highlighted areas of concern. It stated: ‘The Lorne service will be focussing on the required changes and diversifying.

‘This will involve the service modernising the support it offers and will move away from the historical perception of how it is used and defined.

‘Since the last inspection, a staff development day has been held which attempted to allow the staff team to begin to take ownership and be more involved and participative in the growth and development of the service.

‘A comprehensive development and action plan has been developed to guide these changes.’

However, a small group of service users who approached the Oban Times, but did not want to be named, said: ‘The service we are being offered in Oban is not what we really want.

‘We have good staff members who provide a service that we like - does that not count for anything?’

A spokesman for Argyll and Bute council said: ‘ The Lorne continues to develop and is cur- rently in the process of embedding a new management system and ensuring that the service is providing positive outcome based supports for individuals and groups.

‘Lorne resource centre continues to meet the hopes, needs and aspirations of those accessing the service by providing a modern, flexible , and individual service.

‘The Lorne continues to develop and is currently in the process of embedding a new management system and ensuring that the service is providing positive outcome based supports for individuals and groups.

‘The Lorne will do so in consultation and partnership with all service users, families, health colleagues, social workers and carers with a stakeholders day planned to take place at the end of October to gather views on modernising and improving the service,’ the spokesman added,