News

Residents at a social care residential unit are occupying their care home in defiance of the Church of Scotland, one of the largest care providers in Scotland.

Leslie House in Fife was one of nine care units marked for closure by the Church of Scotland in April for financial reasons. Relatives of the residents set up the Leslie House 21 Group claiming no one had been consulted over the closure and that other ways of retaining the home had not been explored.

Relatives and residents say that they will not move from Leslie House in spite of the Church's planned closure date of 31 July. The campaigners have warned that they are prepared for a lengthy stand-off until "the physical, mental and social well-being" of the older people is secured.

The Church's depute director of social work, David Kellock, said the decision to close Leslie House was taken in private "to avoid unnecessary anxiety by the service users and their families. Also, we have to bear in mind the commercial implications that could be compromised if such a decision was made openly."

Kellock said the Church had spent an additional £832,000 on Leslie House in the past five years and £162,000 last year. Essential upgrading has been estimated at £1.5m.

Christine Jackson, a social work manager in Nottingham who chairs the campaign group and whose mother is a resident at the home, said: "The outcome of negotiations on Leslie House has implications for the care of people everywhere. If we are successful we may change how organisations are allowed to make decisions on the closure of care homes in every authority in the UK."