PROPOSALS are in place for friendship and luncheon club funding to be slashed by 2024.

Wiltshire Council has revealed the potential cut as it wants to provide "more personalised options" for adult day services across the county, which "benefit those who most need support".

It has been proposed that grant funding for these clubs, focussing on adults with learning disabilities and older people, will be reduced by 50 per cent in the year 2022/23, and the remaining 50 per cent will be scrapped in 2023/24.

The council says it will instead support clubs if they would like to consider alternative sources of funding in future, including applying to area boards.

Leader of Wiltshire Council Richard Clewer added that a new tender will be advertised to provide day opportunities, with new provision beginning in the summer. These will be supported by the council.

He said: “We want to ensure people have the right support so they can live well and be a part of their community.

"Day services are valuable opportunities to help promote this independence and community engagement, and currently these services are provided in a number of ways."

In the future, the council wants people to have a say on how these and other services are provided, to ensure they match the support and opportunities residents need.

The priorities of day services will be to focus on the strengths and potential of people, to make a positive difference in people’s lives, to increase choice and control and where possible help people develop their life skills.

Cllr Clewer added: “For the future we want to provide more personalised options that benefit those who most need our support and ensure opportunities are equitable across Wiltshire.

"Our aim will be to ensure residents’ social needs continue to be met, either by existing community resources or through providing new services, and we will be asking people currently using these services to share their thoughts.”

The proposals are to be discussed at a future cabinet meeting.

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