Quality of care priority for new Borders care company

Adult social care sevices in the Scottish Borders have been transferred to an arm’s length organisation in a bid to help save £5.6m over five years.

The move will see around 800 staff moving to SB Cares who will now deliver homecare, residential care homes, extra care housing and day services.

Councillor Frances Renton, Executive Member for Social Work and Housing, said:“This is a significant milestone not only for staff and service users but for the Council as a whole.

“We are venturing into new territory with the launch of SB Cares but having witnessed the commitment that the project has been shown by all parties involved, I am confident that the move is in the best interests of staff and service users alike.

“Not only will service users and carers continue to experience the same high standards of support that they currently receive, they can do so in the knowledge that SB Cares has the full backing of the Council.

“Going forward there will be opportunities for them to purchase additional services directly from SB Cares and this is a development that can only enhance the quality and range of services available for people requiring social care services in the Borders.

“I would like to acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that has been done to make this transfer as smooth as possible. From the project team and external consultants through to the management team and staff being transferred, all have done their part to get us to this point and I wish them all every success with this new venture.”

SB Cares Managing Director, Philip Barr, said: “I have a real sense of excitement from staff and the management team about the opportunities which lie ahead for us all.

“Our intention is to put huge emphasis on the quality of our care and the quality of our team. We know that it is only through great people that we can deliver a great service. We are ambitious for the success of SB Cares. We are starting with a range of excellent services but this is our opportunity to build on these standards and make sure that we deliver the services that fully meet the needs of each and every one of our clients.”

_{Pictured: SB Cares Managing Director, Philip Barr with Debbie Collins, Finance and Commercial Director.}