£8m Hawick care village a step closer to reality

It’s understood that the Deanfield Care Home would probably have to close if the new care village goes ahead.

On Thursday, September 29, Scottish Borders Council will receive an outline business case for the proposed development, with the probable site being Stirches.

Plans for a care village in both Hawick and a similar £14m development at Tweedbank are part of a radical review of elderly care in the Borders.

The re-think was inspired after a visit by council officials and elected members to a ‘dementia village’ in the Netherlands back in 2020.

The aim is a movement away from institutionalised care and the creation of a village-like environment which would be a “neighbourhood that is part of a broader society”, incorporating a shop, cafe and other community facilities.

As part of a public consultation, the proposal for a care village in Hawick has been largely welcomed in Hawick, although reservations were expressed.

A report to the committee from Chris Myers, chief officer of the NHS’s Health and Social Care Partnership, says: “People welcomed the commitment that Scottish Borders Council has made to care support and a care village in Hawick but questioned whether the £8m capital funding allocated for the development would be sufficient.”

For the Hawick care village to go-ahead the existing Deanfield Care Home in Hawick would probably need to close.

The report adds: “Concerns about funding a new care village in a very tight financial climate led to a degree of scepticism from stakeholders. This was given as a possible reason why relatively few Deanfield staff and families came to the engagement sessions.

“Some people at the drop-in sessions and community groups also seemed jaded about ‘council promises coming to nothing’ and a ‘tradtional council that isn’t good at change’.

“Location and transport issues were raised frequently in relation to Stirches, which a lot of people thought was the agreed site for the care village. Buses only run from the town centre to Stirches once an hour and people with mobility issues find them difficult to use.

“People suggested other sites for a care village, particularly Crumhaugh House, a disused care facility in central Hawick. In any event, people felt strongly that no more existing facilities should be closed before new care provision was opened.”

The aim is for a final outline business case to be presented to the council early next year.