A RADICAL overhaul of services for people with learning disabilities is being proposed for east Cleveland.

Residents are to have their say on proposals said to be the biggest change to the service in 30 years.

Meetings have been organised by the Redcar and Cleveland Learning Disability Partnership to discuss the Government's White Paper on the issue.

The document, called Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability in the 21st Century, is based on four key principles - rights, independence, choice and inclusion.

The one-hour meetings have been arranged to provide service users and carers, along with parents of children with learning disabilities, with information about their involvement in the process.

The first meeting was held in Skelton last night and further meetings take place at Sunnyfield House in Guisborough on Tuesday at 7pm; Upsall Hall at Nunthorpe at 3pm on Wednesday; the Skelton Social Skills Centre, Skelton Industrial Estate, at 2pm on Thursday; the Grangetown Centre at 7pm on Tuesday November 27; and the Grenfell Club at Redcar on Saturday, December 1 at 10am