Scottish Borders social care switch agreed

The organisation will be responsible for day care and five residential homes

Care services for vulnerable adults in the Borders are to be transferred to an arm's length organisation to help save £5.6m over five years.

The new arrangements are scheduled to be in place by April next year.

The move will see about 800 existing staff taken on by the new company with their terms and conditions preserved.

Councillor Frances Renton, executive member for social work, said she was confident the change would deliver benefits in the new financial year.

The proposals were first presented to Scottish Borders Council in January and a full business case was considered in June.

Officers were asked to come back with an update and report on governance and scrutiny arrangements.

'Robust governance'

"Since the meeting in June, officers have refined the original business case in order to provide further assurances to council," said Ms Renton.

"They have also conducted an initial impact assessment and put together robust governance and scrutiny arrangements.

"Now that these issues have all been approved, officers can proceed with implementation plans."

The organisation will be responsible for home care as well as operating day care and five residential homes.

The council said that "detailed work" would continue over the next five months to set up the company, including talks with staff, unions, service users, carers and other stakeholders.

It said that would include "setting out the agreed quality standards and performance requirements of the company".