TWO day care centres for adults with learning disabilities are to close saving almost £900,000.

Under a new scheme, people with learning disabilities are assessed and given cash allowing them to buy the services they want from the council and other organisations like charities.

In Glasgow, the majority have opted not to pay to attend council run day centres but to use the money to take part in a wide range of activities including sport, art and drama.

As a result, only 125 of the 418 people who used to attend the centres continue to do so.

That has resulted in centres being over staffed and no longer financially viable.

In a bid to solve the problem, city councillors have agreed to shut the Wedge in Barrhead Road and Southbrae in Scotstoun.

The 15 people who attend the Wedge will get day care at the Carlton Centre and the 21 who presently go to the Scotstoun centre will be able to attend the council centres at either Riddrie or Calton.

Council bosses plan to review the facilities at the Wedge to see if they can be used in future by either the social work department or the community.

And they are looking at leasing the Southbrae centre for a peppercorn rent to a group called The Life I Want which was set up to support people with learning disabilities to make choices about how to lead the lives they want as part of the community and participate in the process of day service redesign as an equal partner.

City council social care spokesman Malcolm Cunning said: "The straightforward reality is that when given a choice people have chosen to spend their personal budgets with other service providers.

"A far greater number of people with learning disabilities are making individual choices that what they wish to do with their lives on a day by day basis is not go to one single centre and do the same thing every day.

"Some like going to the cinema or having an opportunity for sport, art and drama.

"These are the sort of choices we make and these are the sort of choices that should be given to adults with learning difficulties.

"As a result demand for services provided at both the Wedge and Southbrae has fallen to unsustainable levels.

"Not only does this deliver a highly diminished experience for service users, it also does not represent best value for taxpayers..

"Places will be available in the two other centres at Riddrie and Carlton for those affected and people can be assured they will receive high quality support service in those centres."

Social work bosses have said they plan to carry out upgrading work at the remaining centres at Calton and Riddrie.

Mr Cunning said: "Following recent reforms to our learning disabilities day services, the strong indication is that service users and carers are now very pleased with the support being delivered across the city by a range of providers.

"Although there will be a period of transition, we are confident further reform to our day services will be welcomed by service users and their carers."