A CENTRE for adults with learning disabilities in Gourock will shut with eight job losses as health and social care bosses make £500,000 worth of cuts.

The McPherson Centre is to close by the summer and its 30 service users will transfer to the Fitzgerald Centre in Greenock.

Health and social care bosses are already reducing the number of people who attend traditional day care centres. 

In the longer term the council plans a new purpose-built centre bringing adults with learning disabilities under the same roof as older people.

A report by health director Louise Long said: “Work has already been under way for some time to look at alternative and more appropriate day and social opportunities for some of this cohort of service users, and indeed changes have been implemented where appropriate, resulting in a stepped reducing in numbers over a period of time.”

The move will save £322,500, as a result of a loss of 8.5 jobs.

The Tele revealed last year that bosses were looking to close one of the area’s two day care centres.

As a result of the changes, another three buildings — in Greenock’s Lynedoch Street and Hope Street and Golf Road in Port Glasgow — will no longer be required.

All care packages currently in place for adults with learning disabilities are also being reviewed to identify around £175,000 worth of cuts.

Officials say that from now on adults with learning disabilities will be expected to make greater use of self-directed support and pool resources with others to continue friendships and ‘maximise and sustain’ the support they are receiving.

A total of £70,000 will have to be spent in the short term to upgrade the Fitzgerald Centre but health and social care bosses are looking to build a brand new centre by March 2020.