Vulnerable people face 'immensely stressful' time amid care home closures in Renfrewshire

Vulnerable people in Renfrewshire face an “immensely stressful” time after it was revealed three care homes will be closed.

Eight service users from the area will be affected by the shutdown of Ashgrove, Fountainview and Glen Valley in Quarriers Village, located near Bridge of Weir.

It is understood Quarriers formally notified Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) of the plans in November – impacting a total of 17 people – which are due to take effect at the end of March.

Councillor Eddie Devine, who represents Paisley Southeast, said: “I’m absolutely stunned. There has been practically no time for anyone to adjust, particularly those who have family in these services.

“It’s completely out of the blue. The HSCP was formally notified in November and suddenly it has got to find somewhere for these people to live. It just astonishes me.

“They need certainty. It must be so distressing for them and their relatives. It will be immensely stressful.

“We need to make sure the people we are responsible for are taken care of and settled in wherever they have to go.”

An update from Christine Laverty, chief officer of the HSCP, said some of those affected from Renfrewshire have lived in these settings for a number of years and have a range of complex care and support needs.

“The services were designed to support individuals with learning disabilities, but there are additional needs associated with dementia, acquired brain injury and physical health issues,” she explained.

The age range is varied, with the youngest being 45 and the oldest 85 years old.

The HSCP has written to all eight families and guardians to outline the steps taken so far and its work in identifying suitable alternative accommodation for their loved ones.

A spokesperson said: “We have been working closely with Quarriers, Inverclyde Council and other partners to ensure the best possible support is in place for individuals and families from Renfrewshire affected by this change.

“A Renfrewshire HSCP project team has been established and we are in regular contact with all parties.”

A briefing note shared with elected members said a “challenging labour market” meant Quarriers’ services were becoming “increasingly reliant” on agency staff.

It added that the charity decided to reshape the village provision to “better align” its obligations to the number of staff it has available.

Dr Ron Culley, chief executive of Quarriers, said: “Quarriers has been working closely with our partner local authorities since November to ensure that the closure of the three care homes is undertaken with the minimal amount of disruption to the lives of people we support.

“We are committed to supporting the families of the 17 residents and we have been in active discussion with them this week about how best we can assist them during this transition period.

“We are confident our residents will be able to find positive alternative accommodation options by the end of March, and for some that will include exploring a move to other Quarriers services.

“The decision to close the care homes was made with a heavy heart. We have offered high quality care and support to our residents across many years.

“However, the staffing crisis in social care is having an acute impact on the sustainability of services across Scotland.

“For Quarriers, it regretfully means we are unable to continue to operate the three care homes in Quarriers Village.”

Quarriers does not expect any job losses as a result of the closures.