SHUTTING day centres for people with learning disabilities will not isolate them but offer more opportunities, according to care bosses.

Bournemouth Borough Council service director for adult and community services, Judith Geddes, and cabinet member for health and social services, Cllr Lynda Price, said the move – which if approved will save £495,000 a year – was a positive.

The council proposes closing Malvern, Horizons and Darracott day centres, moving residents to Wallisdown or Boscombe day centres or giving them help from a new community team.

Those in residential care homes and being transported to day centres will no longer receive services provided by Bournemouth council. It will fall to care homes to arrange activities.

The proposals come a month after the council approved plans to close Ensbury day centre and move people to Alumhurst, Westbourne.

Currently 51 people in residential care receive day care.

Ms Geddes added: “Rather than being picked up and going to a day centre with a lot of other people and doing activities down to that centre, they can go to the cinema or into town, for example, and the range of activities is vastly improved.

“Day centre provision is seen as being out of date. It will mean a significant change for people – the focus is now on how we help people manage and adjust to the change.”

Although the move will help save cash in tough times, Ms Geddes said it was something that had been considered long before budget cuts.

“We can say with confidence that this will improve the lives of these people,” she said.

Cllr Price said that any redundancies with the closure of the day centres would be minimal – people would be re-deployed to fill vacancies elsewhere and would also form the new community team.

She added: “This is a great opportunity, but human nature means people are uncertain of change and we need to give them support.”

Ms Geddes said: “This is an opportunity for people who are looked after in residential care. I know it’s easy for me to say that, and people will not be thinking that, but over time when they get the chance to access a range of activities, they will see the benefits of the changes.”