CHANGES to Blackburn with Darwen Council’s day care services have been unveiled.

A new outline model for adult social care's new day services model is expected to be approved by the council's executive board when it meets next week.

Council bosses say the new model gives wider and more intensive support in the community for people with qualifying assessed needs.

The proposal is that the council will maintain the existing specialist offer for residents with the most complex needs whilst developing a more diverse offer across our community assets of new “day services” for those residents able to maintain a higher degree of independence.

Executive member for health and adult social care, Cllr Brian Taylor said: “In this way, more residents will be supported to access the right level of support in accordance with the principles of prevention, promoting independence, providing choice and control.

"Utilising our community assets as a means to support people across the whole spectrum of need aligns to our wider vision around the development of an integrated neighbourhood offer that supports people to live well for longer."

Historically, day care has been based within designated centres, offering full day provision and up to five days per week attendance.

Currently 174 people are supported within formal day service settings.

The council will continue to make this specialist service available to meet the needs of its current service users who want to continue accessing it, and to any new service user whose needs are assessed as being so complex that they require this level of provision.

Bosses say the new model will embrace the development of new groups and activities for a wider cohort of residents, helping support people within their

It will also rely on increased use of volunteers.

Cllr Taylor added: "The new model of day services would pay particular attention to the rights of service users to be supported to maintain active living, independence and the right to a range of opportunities that can be

accessed closer to home.

"The new “day services” model is likely to introduce more sessional activities and a blended timetable of centre-based and community participation rather than a full day/ five day offer other than where this is a specific assessed need.

"We are seeking to phase the increase of asset based activity in all our Integrated Neighbourhoods and see this as an opportunity to improve the pace and scale at which this offer develops.

"The model may offer opportunities to integrate provision to residents who have historically received services separately.

"The new model may have implications for individual staff members across Blackburn with Darwen and provider services as our wider workforce are asked to operate more flexibly and potentially across different settings.

"Appropriate engagement and training will be provided."