Council Secures Additional Care at Home Services

12th July 2009

Following a comprehensive tender exercise, The Highland Council has entered into contracts with three independent sector providers, to deliver additional care at home services across the Highlands, which will supplement the services provided by the Council's in-house team of home carers and services already purchased from the independent sector.

The successful bidders, British Red Cross, Independent Living Services and Crossroads Caring Scotland, will collectively deliver an extra 117,000 hours per annum of care at home in the Highlands.

The Council is committed to investing in care at home, by providing an additional £1 million in each year from 2007-8 to 2010-11, resulting in additional investment of £4m per annum by 2010-11. This additional investment is being used to both deliver more in-house services and to also purchase more care at home through the new contracts awarded. The additional services will enable more people to be supported in their own homes for longer.

Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman of the Council's Housing and Social Work Committee said: "I am delighted to have secured additional care at home services on a long term basis from these providers. This additional capacity will be important in avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions, ensuring rapid discharge from hospital and in keeping people supported for longer in their own homes, which is where they want to be."

The additional services will be available from late summer 2009.

The Programme of The Highland Council, sets out the Council's priorities for 2009 to 2011. The commitment to investing in additional home care, is a key priority within this programme: http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/communitiesandolderpeople.htm