Isle of Man adult day care users to have single provider

Service users will receive support from just one care provider in future

Changes to day care provision for adults with learning disabilities will reduce "errors and miscommunication", the Manx government has said.

The changes mean service users will now receive support from a single provider, rather than a combination of several.

A government spokeswoman said people would still "receive the same level of service they already have".

Caring charity Crossroads Care said "one size doesn't fit all" and multiple providers could be a "good thing".

Support services were forced to stop during the coronavirus outbreak and are expected to completely return by the start of August.

A government spokeswoman said the disruption was a chance to "iron out anomalies", as "consistency of approach" was important when supporting adults with a learning disability.

Adult day care services on the Isle of Man are run by several providers, including the Department of Health and Social Care and third parties such as Crossroads Care.

While some people already receive care from a single provider, others use multiple services each day or across a week.

Crossroads Care's Jackie Betteridge said there needed to be "empathy" in the process and any alterations to services needed to fit those that used them.

"The proof is in the pudding, we will have to wait and see what it looks like," she added.