Scottish Borders Council got it wrong on centre closure, says leader

Euan Jardine said the council needed to remember its decisions had an impact on the public

A council leader has admitted his authority "got it wrong" after a judge ruled the closure of a day centre for the elderly was unlawful.

Lady Carmichael delivered her findings earlier this month on the decision to shut the service in Hawick.

She found Scottish Borders Council (SBC) had failed to properly assess the impact of the move.

Leader Euan Jardine said everything the authority did should try to have service users at heart.

He was commenting during the presentation of a report on the impact of the court ruling, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

• Read more stories from South Scotland

• Son to 'keep fighting' after court victory

In it, chief legal officer Nuala McKinlay said: "This matter is complex and it is extremely important that SBC takes the correct steps to move forward."

As part of a review of day care services for the elderly, the decision was also taken in 2019 to decommission services in Eyemouth, Kelso, Jedburgh, Galashiels and Peebles.

Now an action plan is being drawn up to address the legal decision and its implications on day services for the elderly across the Borders.

Mr Jardine said: "We got it wrong and this report is a lesson and we must learn from it.

"We must carry out the next steps effectively, transparently and openly."

He said they also had to remember that every decision they made had an impact on people.

"We must always have service users at the heart of what we do," he said.

"I also want to note that action is required over the wider programme that must be considered over the next few months.

"I would like to apologise unreservedly to service users and their families for any distress they may have suffered in this matter and also to those who have been denied an opportunity to access the services due to the closures."

'Just amazing'

Hawick and Denholm councillor Clair Ramage said she had not understood the move from the outset.

"I used to go into Teviot Day Centre frequently and had lunch and the staff were just amazing," she said.

"Those that were attending the centre with dementia were so well looked after and entertained.

"But the most important thing for me was the respite for the carers."

She said she was pleased that the council was looking at the situation and hoped action could be taken "very quickly".