The four Birmingham adult day centres which face closure amid council’s finance woes

Four adult social care day centres in Birmingham face closure amid the city council’s financial woes. Birmingham City Council, which recently approved a wave of cuts to services, has launched a public consultation over reducing its nine centres to five.

The centres, which support people with disabilities, provide a social environment and aim to increase independence and offer respite for carers. Amid significant financial challenges, the crisis-hit council wants to save nearly £2million from its day centre budget this year by deleting staff vacancies.

For the following year, the proposed saving target is £3.35 million – achieved through the sale of assets and reduced running costs. According to a consultation document, the preferred option and proposal is to ‘rationalise the service’ by moving existing service users and staff from four day centres to the five which would remain.

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The council wants to move people out of Beeches GOLDD in Great Barr, Fairway in Kings Norton, Harborne and Heartlands. The council insisted the cut would improve the quality of facilities and services; provide value for money; and deliver the proposed savings but admitted it would cause short-term disruption.

Other options considered in the consultation are to do nothing, refurbish the centres to current standards, or close them all. If the preferred option goes ahead, the remaining five centres would be Alderman Bowen in Bordesley Green, Ebrook in Sutton Coldfield, Elwood in Erdington, Hockley Centre and Moseley Centre.

The council said no decision about the future of any of the nine day centres had yet been made. Coun Rob Pocock, cabinet member for health and social care, said: “We have reviewed our day centres service post-pandemic, and it’s clear they were valued by citizens, carers and staff, but had declining attendance and needed to offer more flexible and responsive support to citizens.

“We also have a significant financial challenge, with adult social care having to deliver £65m of savings over the next two years”. He continued: “The proposals for the service, in addition to delivering savings, is to develop a more flexible, person-centred offer that reflects our key outcomes and principles for citizens, carers and family members.”

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“We remain committed to ensuring no citizens lose their service, nor staff their jobs, but it may mean the support would be provided from a different centre”. The council will be holding meetings for service users and carers in the day centres in the coming weeks.

Consultation closes on July 9 before a report to the city council’s cabinet for recommendations and a decision in September. The council’s alarming financial situation is down to Birmingham-specific factors, such as an equal pay fiasco and the disastrous implementation of a new IT and finance system, as well as the rising demand for services and funding cuts.

Council leader John Cotton previously criticised the Conservative government and argued councils across the country faced a perfect storm of smaller budgets and higher costs. Conservative politicians have pointed the finger at the Labour council administration with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arguing the authority had mismanaged its finances.

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