Appendix 2
Brighton & Hove City Council
Cabinet
10.30am 17 September 2026
Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall
DRAFT MINUTES
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Present: Councillor Sankey (Chair) Taylor (Deputy Chair), Alexander, Allen, Daniel, McGregor, Muten, Robins, Rowkins and Williams |
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PART ONE
49 Day Options for Adults with Learning Disabilities
49.1 Cabinet considered a report on the future of Wellington House Day Centre, together with the draft minutes of the People Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 4 September 2026 and the representations made earlier in the meeting.
49.2 Councillor Alexander introduced the report and acknowledged the strength of feeling about the proposed closure of Wellington House among service users, families, carers and staff. She explained that the proposal followed the 2026/27 budget decision and a 12-week formal consultation. Wellington House supported 21 adults with learning disabilities, including people with complex needs, and was highly valued; however, attendance and referrals had reduced, the building required significant ongoing investment and the service had a comparatively high unit cost. The independent sector already provided the majority of day opportunities in the city and the recent recommissioning exercise had identified additional providers.
49.3 Councillor Alexander stressed that the proposal was not to reduce day support, but to provide it differently. Recent social work reviews had been completed for each service user and the commissioning exercise had provided assurance that alternative arrangements could be made for all current users. She advised that 18 people could be accommodated by independent day-service providers, two people were moving to full-time accommodation following their reviews and one person had opted for an increased direct payment. There would be no fixed closure date as Wellington House would close only after each individual had moved through a carefully managed, person-centred transition and the Council was satisfied that equivalent support meeting assessed needs was available locally.
49.4 Cabinet recognised that most consultation respondents opposed the closure and discussed the potential disruption to routines, relationships and familiar staff, the effect on families and unpaid carers, and concerns expressed by the Parent Carers' Council, special school representatives and other stakeholders about the capacity and quality of future provision. Members emphasised that the decision had to be considered with particular care given the needs of the people using the service and the pressures experienced by their families.
49.5 Cabinet also considered the sustainability of the wider adult social care system and the need to use available resources to maintain high-quality services across the city. Councillor Taylor emphasised that, although financial pressures formed part of the context, Cabinet's decision was principally about securing an appropriate assessed placement for each individual and should be kept under close review. Councillor Daniel said that her earlier concerns about transition planning and the robustness of the alternative-provider market had been substantially addressed through scrutiny and the further assurance provided.
49.6 Councillor Rowkins asked about the quality of the alternative provision and the arrangements for continuing oversight after the decision. In response, Councillor Alexander reported on visits she had made to three alternative day-opportunity providers as well as Wellington House. She said she had seen comparable care and support and, in some cases, greater flexibility to tailor staffing and activities around an individual's needs. She also noted that three new providers were entering the city market following recommissioning, increasing future capacity.
49.7 Cabinet noted that each new placement would be reviewed after six weeks, with ongoing contract monitoring and annual reviews thereafter. Councillor Alexander confirmed that she would continue to receive and report progress on the individual transitions, in addition to the report back to the People Overview & Scrutiny Committee within six months of the service closing. The Chair highlighted the value placed on Wellington House and its staff, while noting the importance of detailed, person-centred transition planning and continued oversight.
49.8 RESOLVED:
1) That Cabinet approves the closure of Wellington House Day Centre following a carefully managed transition of all current service users to access alternative day provision in the external provider market to ensure that all Wellington House service users receive equivalent day support and care which meets their assessed needs.
2) That Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director of Homes and Adult Social Care, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities, Public Health and Adult Social Care, to take all necessary actions to give effect to the above recommendation.
The meeting concluded at Time Not Specified
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Signed
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