SCOPE, the charity which wants to close down the Douglas Arter Centre in Salisbury, has explained more about the reasons for its proposal.

The centre is home to nine severely disabled adults aged 30 - 70, many of whom have lived there for many years.

Scope wants to close the residential area of the home although it intends to keep the day centre open.

The plan has angered the residents’ families who say the Douglas Arter Centre is the only one of its kind in south Wiltshire and to move would be both distressing and unnecessary.

They are forming a protest group to fight the plans.

But Jayne Kilgallen, Scope’s regional director for south services said: “We understand that the proposals to close the Douglas Arter Centre care home have caused a lot of concern for residents and their families.

“We have made these proposals because more and more disabled people are choosing where they live, who they live with, how they are supported by staff - and using personal budgets to pay for the things that they want. But many of our care homes were opened in the 1970s, and we don’t think they offer disabled people enough choice over how they live.

“We want to support disabled people to live independently because we think everyone has the right to live with as much choice and control as possible, and should be supported to do so. Living
independently doesn’t necessarily mean living on your own, it means having a choice about who you live with and how you are supported.


“We’ve made this proposal because we believe it’s the right one. But we will talk to and consult openly with everyone before making any decisions about the future of the service.”