Your Voice Matters: The Future of Day Care in Argyll & Bute

Day Services in Argyll & Bute – What’s Happening?

Why are we talking about day services?

Day services cost a lot to run, and at the moment they are not sustainable unless changes are made. We must look at different options for the future.
We are not required by law to run day services in the same way we must run other social work services, like assessments and public protection. This is why we need to think carefully about what happens next.

What has happened so far?

A review of day services was recently completed. The review showed that day care and support for older adults in Argyll & Bute are at a turning point. It also showed that:

• Communities have changing needs
• Some people need different types of support, especially people living with dementia and their carers
• Many groups that help older adults also struggle with long‑term funding
• Costs have gone up since COVID‑19, and money is tighter

The review looked at research, people’s experiences, and feedback from staff and service providers.

What day services do we have now?

We run three older adult day services:

• On Bute
• In Cowal
• In Oban

We also pay for part of a service in Garelochhead.

Our own day services have been used mainly for respite since COVID‑19. We want to explore whether running them differently could make them sustainable. We also want to work with communities to see if day centres could be used in new ways.

What options are being looked at?

Option 1: Close adult day services

If this went ahead, a consultation would run until 30 April 2026 and a report would go to the IJB on 27 May 2026.

Option 2: Make day services more financially sustainable

This means changing how day services run and moving towards using day centres as wider community spaces. If enough evidence supports this option by March 2026, we can ask the IJB to make a decision in March 2026.

Option 3: Close the day services that cannot be made sustainable

Services that can become sustainable or have less resource in their area may stay open, while other care and respite options would be explored for each community. We don't currently run day services in all localities.

Not all areas are the same.
Some places have fewer services, so a day service may still be needed if it can work towards sustainability.

What do we want to learn from you?

We want to understand:

• How closing or changing day services would affect people who use the services
• How this might affect unpaid carers, families, and communities
• How any changes in services or fees might affect you
• Ideas for how day centres could be used as wider community spaces in the future

We will share the results of the day services review with the IJB and with everyone taking part in this engagement.

Please take part in our Budget Consultation Questionnaire and have your say.