Highland home-based respite contract won by Edinburgh company

Highland Council has awarded the contract for home-based respite services to an Edinburgh charity

An Edinburgh-based charity has been contracted to provide home-based respite services across most of the Highlands from October.

Highland Council and NHS Highland have announced that Carr Gomm Scotland, a not-for-profit organisation, has won the tender. It will involve the provision of support to children and vulnerable adults in their own homes, enabling parents or  carers to have a break from caring responsibilities.

The organisation delivers services in many large rural areas across Scotland, including Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Argyll and Bute.

Previously, the work has been undertaken by the charity, Crossroads. Highland Council said it is inviting Crossroads schemes across the Highlands 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 for which Crossroads is highly regarded.

Chairman of the council’s social work committee, Councillor Margaret Davidson, described Carr Gomm as “excellent and highly regarded”.  “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,” she said.

“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”.