Day Centres
These are designed to:
- Help people maintain their independence by assisting them in caring for themselves, carrying out tasks of daily living and helping to maintain and improve personal skills.
- Provide an opportunity for carers to have their own space and time.
- Maintain links with their local community.
In day centres, there are a wide range of activities and training available to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and physical disabilities, for example, training in social and domestic skills, woodwork, crafts, drama and a great deal more.
Day centres also provide an opportunity for older people to meet new people and take part in social activities. In some circumstances, transport can be arranged for you to attend a day centre.
Most day centres also have small advanced training units in other locations, which run more specialised schemes for example, gardening, woodwork and printing schemes. Individual day centres have more information on the activities they provide.
For a list of day centres in your area, please contact Social Care Direct or one of our offices.
How Much Will it Cost?
Following concerns by government about the differences across the country in how charges are worked out for non-residential care services, they have issued regulations for all councils to follow. There are some decisions left to councils in the detail of their charging policy. The following explains how your council will apply these. This information only applies to Day Care. Separate information is available for charges for Home Care and other support services.Why Charge for Services?
The government has given councils the choice of whether to charge for services. Your council has decided to seek a contribution towards its costs as the government reduces the amount of money it gives us on the assumption that we do so. It is therefore essential that we charge to make sure that we can keep up the amount of services that we can provide to the people of Durham.
Charges for Day Care
If charges are made for care services we are required to carry out a financial assessment (means test) to work out how much you can pay.Some councils have decided to make a standard charge for these and also carry out a financial assessment to work out if service users can afford to pay extra for the day care service itself.
Your council has decided only to charge for the meals and transport and will not carry out a financial assessment unless you also receive Home Care or other support services.
How Much Will You Pay?
The council is allowed to charge up to the full cost of providing the service but it has been decided to seek a contribution towards our costs. These charges will be increased each year to keep up with rising costs, usually by the rate of inflation. Please note that if you choose not to take advantage of the meal provided in Day Care or if you do not use our transport to get there you will not have to pay the charges.
Notifying You of the Charge and Your Right of Appeal
If you are a new service user we will write to you to confirm the charge that you will pay. We will also write to you each year, usually in March, to let you know what the charges will be increased to from April.
If you feel that there are reasons why you can’t pay you can ask to have the charges reviewed. A manager from Adult & Community Services will carry this out within three weeks of your request and you will be given the decision in writing.
If you are still not satisfied you can use the official complaints procedure.
People Who Refuse to Pay
The government has said that once someone has been assessed as needing a service, that service should not be withdrawn even if he or she refuses to pay the charge. You are advised to use the review system before you take any decisions to refuse the service because of the charges.
The government also advises that if anyone refuses to pay charges the debt can be pursued, if necessary through the Magistrates Court. Please talk to your social worker or the finance team before this occurs.
