Church of Scotland to close care units

The Church of Scotland has blamed insufficient
funding by local authorities for the closure of nine care
units.

The
church claims funding has fallen far below what is required,
resulting in a large subsidies from its own voluntary funds. It has
for some time been an outspoken critic of funding arrangements with
local authorities.

The
church, which is one of the country’s biggest social care service
providers, is to close nine care units in Aberdeen, Glasgow,
Edinburgh, Mid-Lothian and Ayrshire during the summer. The units
include five residential units for older people, three day care
centres and an alcohol addiction centre.

More
than 100 older people will be made homeless and many more staff
made redundant.

Ian
Baillie, director of social services for the church, said: “The
decision to close the units has been made with deepest regret.
Responsibility lies with the local authorities, which have known
about the funding shortfall for 10 years.”

But
Pat Watters, president of the Convention of Scottish Local
Authorities, rejected the claim saying the local authorities
believed that the recently negotiated increase in payments to
independent providers of residential care had resolved the
matter.

Watters added: “The first notion
Cosla had of a difficulty was when we received a threat of closure
from the Church of Scotland.”