PEOPLE with learning difficulties and their families are being assured cost-cutting will not mean cuts in their care.

Wiltshire County Council plans to axe in-house provision of care in favour of buying care from the private sector, so losing 151 jobs.

Deputy council leader Cllr John Thomson, portfolio holder for community services, said: "A lot of people are very concerned about going to independent care but 76 per cent of care across the country is provided by the independent sector.

"We already have 1,736 people receiving care from outside providers and only 460 from our home care team." The council's home care team is to be reorganised to become a supervisory body, ensuring people are being well looked after.

Cllr Thomson said: "Employees are very concerned about the future. It has been very difficult for staff and we do acknowledge that the last year has been a very uncertain one.

"We are in a process of change and it is our intention that the changes we are making will provide opportunities for a service we greatly value to use its skills base for the very best results."

Council leader Cllr Jane Scott said: "This is difficult for everyone and it is mostly difficult for our staff but we are living above our means and, for the sake of the services of the future, we have to get this right."

Day care services will also radically change, with every person receiving care being reassessed to see if they still qualify.

Existing day care centres, including the Ashton Street Centre in Trowbridge and Middlefield in Chippenham are to be closed and replaced with smaller centres. Those no longer judged as having a need for day care will be given help in other ways, such as supported working or learning.

Council chief executive Keith Robinson said: "It is controversial because people have got very used to existing day care centres and those will continue until we have something to replace them.

"People are always going to be sceptical until they see the new service in place.

"We won't deny for a moment we are doing this in the context of reducing expenditure but this reform process began in 2002, long before we entered these financial difficulties."

  • The county council is on the road to financial recovery, according to latest figures. It has identified £3.7m of savings in the Department of Adult and Community Services as part of a corporate recovery plan launched in May. The council has to recoup £7m in total.

The cabinet meeting heard an update on the efforts to achieve financial balance and agreed a draft financial plan agreed for 2007/08, asking for another update next month.