Care provider urges Government to value older people

The chief executive of Bield, one of Scotland’s largest providers of housing, care and support services is encouraging staff and service users to help create a new five-year plan that will allow it to continue its success.

With the organisation approaching its 50th year in 2021, Mr Logan has asked the staff and service users to contribute to the 2016-2021 plan, helping the organisation to deliver an even better, more efficient service during a difficult period of Government cutbacks and rising costs.

Speaking at the Bield AGM, Mr Logan praised the achievement of the last five years, which has seen over 100 changes and improvement projects delivered across their care providers.

Mr Logan said: "Our operating environment is not going to get any easier. We face the double whammy of funding cuts and rising costs. But over the next five years we will be more efficient than ever before, we will lobby the Government for more money and we will continue with our strategy of trying to reduce our reliance on Government money.

"We know there are big changes ahead and there are some tough decisions before us, but with our committed and skilled staff team and volunteers, with tenants and service users with such amazing spirit and stories to inspire us and with our shared passion for improving older peoples’ lives, I am hugely optimistic about the future."

Throughout the five years Bield will ensure they put service users and staff at the forefront of the decision making process. With a diverse base of tenants, owners, residents and other service users, each individual’s input will be essential in delivering future success.

Bield endeavour to continue to invest and develop their team of staff, building confidence skills and making them feel valued. Mr Logan added: "Over the next few months, we will be consulting with tenants, service users and staff, finding out what they think and how they would like the organisation to progress.

"For me this is the exciting bit. Setting the vision, the direction for the next five years, listening to people’s views, trying to pull them all together into a coherent plan that we can all rally behind."

Bield is a registered charity that provides a wide range of housing and services for around 20,000 older people across 23 local authority areas. The vision is to ensure people of all ages are respected, can make their own choices and are able to live independent and fulfilling lives.