THE area's health and social care chief has admitted that the ageing Inverclyde Centre in Greenock has become a 'barrier' to improving the homeless service.

Chief officer Kate Rocks says the building on Dalrymple Street is not suitable for the kind of care the staff want to provide.

She spoke during a meeting of the integrated joint board following a visit to the centre along with the chair of the IJB, Alan Cowan.

Later this year proposals for the future of the centre - which was deemed not fit for purpose a number of years ago - will be put to the full council.

A big shakeup of the local homelessness service has been planned for some time.

A number of concerns have been raised in recent times about services for people without a permanent roof over their head.

One family spoke out in the Tele last year after their son died in the unit.

A councillor said he had been told of alleged sexual assaults on women and men within the centre.

A former member of staff also went public on their fears, claiming vulnerable residents were at risk because it is operating without dedicated vital nursing, drug and alcohol support.

Ms Rocks praised the work of staff as she acknowledged that they are limited by the environment they are working in.

She said: "We visited the service to spend time with staff and some residents.

"It was fantastic.

"We really got a sense of the work going on terms of outreach.

"Can I say, the limit of that service is the physical building.

"It does not lend to the aspirations or ambitions of the staff or management to support the service.

"I was taken with the compassion and the values of the staff and that is important to acknowledge.

"But there needs to be some work, there is no getting away from the fact the design of the building is a major barrier to improving the service."

A redesign of the homeless service with proposals around the use of the building going forward will be unveiled in June.