Wardens threaten strike over extended visits in the community

Sheltered housing wardens in Edinburgh are threatening to strike
if the city’s housing department’s plans to expand
their duties go ahead, writes Maggie
Wood.

Under the proposed new arrangements, wardens who live on site
will be expected to extend their workload to cover older people
living in the community.

Currently, wardens visit sheltered residents at least once a
day. Under the new plans they would be expected to decide who not
to visit to allow them to visit older people living elsewhere.

A spokesperson for trade union Unison said the proposed changes
would mean a reduction in services to a number of people living in
sheltered housing who depended on daily visits for social
contact.

Existing domiciliary care and community care services to older
people living in the community could be cut back once it became
known that they were being regularly visited by another service, he
warned.