More than 100 care workers’ jobs hang in the balance following the decision to close eight Derbyshire adult day centres – as union chiefs fear the council is merely paying ‘lip service’ to workers’ concerns.

The move by Derbyshire County Council’s Conservative Cabinet yesterday (October 13) to close eight day centres for adults with disabilities and learning difficulties leaves 105 employees today wondering what is to become of their jobs, and with only 42 roles likely to be created within the wider service, that means 63 staff members will potentially be looking for work.

The decision flew in the face of the outcome of a public consultation earlier in the year, in which 81 per cent of the 696 respondents disagreed with the proposals, prompting comments from the opposition that the survey was a ‘tick-box’ exercise.

The council will now commence a formal consultation with trade unions and staff, however speaking at a protest outside of the County Offices yesterday, Jeanette Lloyd, UNISON Derbyshire branch secretary, said she was concerned the authority was just paying ‘lip service’ to the views of its employees.

She said: “My concern is if they haven’t supported the public consultation, what notice are they going to take of a staff consultation?”

The Learning Disability Day Opportunities Service Redesign pushes service users towards the use of Community Connectors to identify job and volunteer opportunities, but concerns have been raised that this level of support will be insufficient for many.

Ms Lloyd stressed that despite the threat to their livelihoods, staff were ‘more concerned about their service users’ than themselves.

“A lot of these service users have been going to the same centres for years and years, the carers are extensions of their families,” she commented.

Answering a question over employees’ future posed in the meeting by Labour Leader Councillor Joan Dixon, Cabinet Member for Adult Services Councillor Natalie Hoy said the authority would do ‘everything they could to retain them’.

She said: “I can assure you that all staff that could be affected have been kept up to date and we will continue to support them.

“We highly value our dedicated our skilled staff.”

Deputy leader Councillor Simon Spencer commented: “These staff that are directly affected will be treated properly with dignity and any issues will be addressed.”

In approving the plans, cabinet members celebrated the move towards a new way of delivering services that provides people a greater variety of opportunities by moving away from traditional day centres.

Following the phased closures, the following four adult days centres will remain open for those with more complex needs – Alderbrook, in Chinley, No Limits, in Chesterfield, Outlook, in Long Eaton, and Parkwood, in Alfreton.

The closure of the adult day centres follows the controversial move by the cabinet earlier in the year to shut seven council-run care homes for the elderly.

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