Low demand behind day centre closure plan

An adult day centre at the centre of a long-running closure row was used for only a third of available weekly sessions, according to a council report recommending its closure.

North Yorkshire Council is being asked to approve plans to shut Cauwood Day Service in Malton, which supports eight adults with learning disabilities, autism and other complex needs.

The report said only 20 of the centre's 60 available weekly sessions were being used and argued the service was financially unsustainable.

However, it acknowledged the facility was "highly valued" by users and their families, who have previously raised concerns about the impact its closure would have on vulnerable adults.

Of the eight people Cauwood supports, between three and five attend on a typical day, according to the council.

Officers said there had been only two new referrals to the service since 2020, while annual running costs had continued to rise.

A report said the service cost about £363,000 to operate during the 2025-26 financial year, including approximately £310,000 in staffing costs.

Based on current figures, the cost of delivering the service was about twice the market average and was "therefore not financially sustainable", officers said.

The authority also estimated about £314,000 would need to be invested in the building over the next two years to maintain safe standards.

The work would include repairs and improvements to "ceilings, walls, windows, doors, electrical systems and sanitary facilities", the report stated.

The document said the building would not close until "suitable alternative support" arrangements had been put in place for "everyone affected".

Individual reviews have already been carried out with service users, families and carers to identify replacement provision should councillors approve the recommendation.

Most people currently attending the centre have existing alternatives available to them, according to the local authority.

For a small number of service users, bespoke arrangements would need to be developed alongside plans for a new community-based service centred on a local hub in the Malton area.

The council said any changes would be "introduced gradually so that everyone continues to receive the appropriate level of support".

A six-week public consultation on the future of the service received 143 responses from staff, service users, relatives, carers and residents.

However, the report concluded that the current building-based service remained "financially and operationally unsustainable".

If approved, the site could in future be redeveloped for an Extra Care housing scheme, with proposals also including a community hub.

Executive members are due to vote on its closure on 4 August, but a scrutiny committee has called for the issue to be examined by its members first.

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