THE future of a threatened day centre for people with learning disabilities will be decided behind closed doors.

Parents and carers of the 37 people who use the Malvern Social Education Centre in Geraldine Road will not be able to attend the Worcestershire County Council meeting to decide where the services will be delivered in February.

The consultation period comes to an end today and Councillor Sheila Blagg will make the decision as the cabinet member for adult social care before her presenting her findings to the meeting.

Carer Tony Barnett, who has been caring for 75-yearold John Elton – a user of the centre for 28 years – since April, is still concerned about the disruption a potential closure could cause.

Mr Barnett said he resigned to losing the building and said a meeting with councillor Blagg and other local ward councillors on Monday had “not changed a thing”.

He said: “We really need a service in Malvern but we can’t get anywhere on that.”

A county council spokesman said members of the public could make written representations to the meeting even though they could not attend and the report on the issue would be posted on the council’s website a week before the decision is made.

Under the proposals, service users with more specialists needs would have to travel to resource centres in Worcester, while the possibility of a resource centre of hub being set up in Malvern will also be considered.