PLANS to overhaul adult day services across Dorset have been published, setting out a new community-focused model designed to reflect changing needs while protecting support for people with complex care requirements.

The council says the new approach aims to promote independence, wellbeing and social inclusion by shifting towards flexible, community-based services, while continuing to provide specialist care where it is needed.

Under the plans, a network of community hubs would be created across the county’s five adult social care localities: North Dorset, East Dorset, West Dorset, Purbeck, and Weymouth and Portland.

These hubs would support the delivery of the integrated care board’s Neighbourhood Health and Wellbeing Programme.

In North Dorset, Stour Connect and Blandford Connect will be retained and developed, while services in Shaftesbury and Sherborne will move towards more suitable, community-based models.

In East Dorset, Verwood Connect would become a specialist hub for adults with learning disabilities, while Ferndown Plus will now be retained and developed rather than closed.

Dorchester Connect is proposed as the main hub for West Dorset, with future plans for Bridport.

In Purbeck, services in Swanage and Wareham would be reshaped, with Wareham Plus becoming a specialist hub for older people.

The proposals, released yesterday (January 26), follow a three-month public consultation that included meetings at Care Dorset’s 13 day centres and a series of online sessions.

Feedback highlighted strong community attachment to existing centres, alongside support for more flexible services and better opportunities for younger adults.

The changes also form part of wider work with partners to focus on outcomes that matter most to communities.

Speaking ahead of next week’s People and Health Overview Committee, cabinet member for adult social care Cllr Steve Robinson said the consultation responses had shaped the final proposals.

He said: “We want to provide residents with greater choice and independence using Direct Payments and Individual Service Funds, allowing them more freedom to do what they want in their local community.

“And we want to make greater use of existing community facilities in our towns across Dorset, working alongside NHS and the voluntary sector and integrating services with local community resources and aligning ourselves with wider prevention and early help priorities efficiently.”

The proposals will be discussed further by councillors next week.