Hawick day care centre may not reopen until summer

The service in Hawick will not be reopened until the middle of next year at the earliest

A day centre for the elderly in the Scottish Borders which was ruled to have been closed unlawfully may not reopen until the summer.

Relatives took the council to court over the decision to shut the Teviot Day Service in Hawick.

A judge said the needs of elderly disabled people had not been properly considered.

Councillors were told this week that reopening the service would still take several months.

The Teviot Day Service was one of six day centres closed by Scottish Borders Council in March 2020 - along with others in Galashiels, Jedburgh, Kelso, Eyemouth and Peebles.

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However, Hawick relatives challenged that decision and a court ruled it was unlawful.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) accepted that judgement and the process for reopening the site has now been outlined.

A wide range of bodies will be consulted before a proposal is brought back to the council in 2023 with, it is hoped, a service provider identified.

At that point ,the local authority can apply for registration with the Care Inspectorate to reopen it.

Councillors were told that could take between three and six months which means the centre is unlikely to open before the middle of next year at the earliest.