THE chief executive of Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA) this week claimed that all elderly tenants in its 293 sheltered housing units were told last September that their wardens would lose their jobs at the end of next month.
Janice Cambridge was responding to concerns raised by Borders MP Michael Moore that “many residents were unaware of the coming changes and had little idea how they would affect their lives”.
The demise of the service will affect 14 wardens at SBHA
complexes across the Borders. It is understood four of these staff actually live within the developments they serve.
“The wardens will, very regrettably, become redundant at the end of March,” said Mrs Cambridge. “Along with the tenants, we are very sad to see them go as they are, without exception, a most caring and dedicated group of employees.”
She explained that at the time of the housing transfer from Scottish Borders Council to SBHA in 2003, the then-Scottish Executive was changing the way in which sheltered housing services were to be funded.
“Previously, every resident was charged an additional amount – a service charge – to pay for their share of the warden,” she said.
“The new system involved a Supporting People grant being paid to local councils to disburse, but strictly on a needs-based arrangement. SBHA was advised this grant would reduce in real terms, year on year.
“Unfortunately, because we tried to continue to provide the warden service, each year we made an increasing and substantial loss. For several years the loss was over £150,000 annually.
“This is clearly unsustainable and unfair on our remaining 5,700 tenants whose rents have to cover the loss.
“We did explore other options short of stopping the warden service, but this was not practical so, two years ago, we commenced the process of engaging with our wardens and sheltered housing tenants to forewarn them the service had to be brought to an end.”
Mrs Cambridge said that in March last year, SBHA gave formal notification to SBC, which was reviewing all services to older people in the region, that it would terminate its contract to provide warden services from March 31, 2010.
She said letters prepared at that time for tenants were held back awaiting a decision from the council over whether it would operate the service and employ the wardens.
Mrs Cambridge said that in September, after the local authority confirmed verbally it would not accept the wardens as employees, letters were sent by SBHA to all tenants confirming the warden service was being withdrawn.
