'RECKLESS' funding cuts to daytime support services could jeopardise care for the county's most vulnerable residents, say directors.

Currently 47 of the 200 voluntary daytime services supporting residents with disabilities, mental health problems, dementia and the frail elderly receive a share of £992,000 worth of funding from Oxfordshire County Council.

But under new proposals these services will have to fight over a much smaller budget of £350,000 a year. 

Daybreak, a specialist dementia charity that operates three dementia clubs in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, Polstead Road, Oxford and Charlbury Close in Kidlington, receives £160,000 a year from the county council - 60 per cent of what it needs to operate.

But there are fears it could now receive less funding, with director Andy Buckland criticising proposals to separately provide £100,000 to new services. 

He added: "I understand the council has to make cutbacks.

"But it appears reckless for it to start funding unproven projects, or ones that will take months or years to be fully operational."

* Paul Smith, spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council has clarified that the so-called £100,000 Innovation Fund is also available for existing services 'who wish to innovate' therefore the overall pot available will be £350,000. 

Following a consultation the county council announced an additional £550,000 of transition funding for voluntary sector providers who receive grant funding.

It also agreed to invest £25,000 a year in training for services around dementia and autism and £100,000 to help people make choices about the use of their personal budgets.

It will maintain its £400,000 a year dementia support service, regardless of the cutbacks.

The county council's service supports an average of 120 people per week through dementia advisors who provide information, advice, face to face and telephone support.

But Maggie Swain, chairwoman of the management committee of the October Club in Wantage, questioned whether it would be enough.

She said: "Although the county council is promising the longevity of its dementia support service, it is just a telephone service.

"They do not run the day centres and give carers the essential respite they need.

"And if our current centres have to close or reduce services because of a lack of funding, how will it be able to support an increase of people needing care?"

Currently the October Club, an Alzheimer's and dementia day care centre, receives £28,000 from the county council.

Although Mrs Swain says the club, which has served Wantage for almost 30 years, has a lot of support from the community to help fundraise, funding cuts would jeopardise any service's future.

Changes have been proposed because the local authority says it can no longer afford the current £9.3m service, which includes 22 centres and will reduce spending to £6.16 by 2019.

County council spokesman Paul Smith said: "Daybreak are one of a number of organisations and individuals who have been in touch via our consultation, which concluded on December 20.

"We have been taking stock of what they have said to us and we are working on how these comments may affect our proposals when the time comes for a final decision to be made."

The proposals will be considered today at a council cabinet meeting.

* An earlier version of this story reported that the overall pot for bids was £250,000. Including the £100k innovation fund it will be £350,000.