DAY centre services throughout Dorset could be effectively privatised under an option being considered by Dorset County Council.

The proposal is one of three options to be looked at by county councillors next week as they discuss an upcoming consultation over the threatened facilities.

Under this option, the county council would buy services from a successful bidder – an independent organisation, charity or private or commercial sector business – and continue to monitor quality while ensuring “the required savings could be made”.

Other options include reducing the existing service either by closing units or reducing the hours or level of service.

While the final choice would be to set up a Local Authority Trading Company (LATC), as a separate business owned by the council.

It would provide an income and offer a wider range of services for people already supported as well as those who do not meet the current criteria but could pay for themselves.

The emotive issue will be discussed on Monday at a meeting of the council’s community overview committee, when members will consider the report outlining the three options.

Debbie Ward, director for adult and community services at Dorset County Council, said: “Day services make a vital contribution to meeting people’s needs, but the council has to make a saving of £600,000 by 2014 out of a net budget for in house day services of £6.651m.

“We want to explore ways of ensuring the future for day services in the context of the difficult financial framework we are now working within.”

Following Monday’s meeting the options will be taken to cabinet on July 6 for agreement for a three-month consultation.

She added: “There is no preferred option at this stage and however services are delivered in the future, the county council will retain its duty to support vulnerable people and to ensure that specialist services needed by vulnerable adults are still available.”