CONTRACTS to provide home-based respite care for children and vulnerable adults across the Highlands has been awarded to an Edinburgh-based company, which will take over from local Crossroads groups.
Efforts will be made to keep on current care staff where possible, and the move will result in an "equalisation of budgets" which will mean an increase in the finances for the Ross-shire service.
The announcement made by Highland Council, working in partnership with NHS Highland, signals the end of an unsuccessful appeal about the tendering process by Crossroads, which had provided the respite service for more than 12 years.
Carr Gomm Scotland, a social enterprise which already delivers services in large rural areas, will take up the contracts in October. The Council said Carr Gorm’s care commission grades reflect their high standards, with consistent grades of 5s and 6s.
According to a statement released by the Council, the new contract involves an equalisation of budgets across the area.
As a consequence, Ross-shire, as well as Caithness, Inverness, and Sutherland will have increased budgets, but budgets will reduce in Skye and Lochalsh, Badenoch and Strathspey, Lochaber and Nairn.
The changes will be phased to ensure that need continues to be met.
The statement claimed, "This addresses variation, and ends what to some degree has been a post-code lottery, based on historical budgets. In future, there will be equal access to home-based respite services for all Highland communities."
The respite service cares for children and vulnerable adults in their own homes, enabling their parents or normal carers to have a break.
Staff currently delivering the service have the right to transfer to the new provider, ensuring continuity of staffing for people who receive services.
The Highland Council claimed it was seeking to continue to work with the local Crossroads, and will be writing to invite them to a meeting to discuss future options.
These can include new business from the Council, as well as the continuation of the private fundraising activity that Crossroads are highly regarded for.
Councillor Margaret Davidson said, "I am pleased that we have appointed an excellent and highly regarded company, Carr Gomm Scotland, to provide home-based respite care. There will be some changes behind the scenes, as the new organisation takes over, but we hope to support the same staff to continue to provide care to people, wherever possible."
"We thank local Crossroads groups for the excellent work they have done to date, and we are seeking to continue to work with them to provide excellent services into the future".
