Dan Grimmer One of three day services for elderly people which is facing the axe because of a shake-up in social services care has been handed a stay of execution for a year.

Dan Grimmer

One of three day services for elderly people which is facing the axe because of a shake-up in social services care has been handed a stay of execution for a year.

The day service currently offered twice a week at Hempnall Mill is under threat because Norfolk County Council wants to shift its focus to providing in-house care to people with dementia and reablement needs.

Two council-run day centres in Norwich - the Silver Rooms and the Essex Rooms - are also under threat, but it has emerged the service in Hempnall has been given a short-term reprieve.

That is because the county council leases the services from the Hempnall Mill Trust and, with the contract for that service due to run out in March next year, the council has decided to renew the deal for another year so a full 12-week consultation with the users can be carried out.

David Harwood, cabinet member for Adult Social Services, said: “This will give plenty of time for final decisions to be taken and for everybody to be helped to prepare for any change which is agreed.”

He said a final decision on the future of the services would probably be made in April next year.

But there is no reprieve, however short term, on the cards for the threatened services at the Norwich centres, although the council insists it is carrying out full consultation with the users of those and that a final decision has yet to be made.

Mr Harwood said: “The Essex and Silver Rooms are buildings that are owned by Norfolk County Council, so there are no contractual agreements with a third party to consider.

“No decision has yet been made about these services and everyone will be able to have their say about the proposals during the period of consultation.”

He added the review was in response to cost pressures of �15.9m in the coming year.