MOVES are finally underway to close the rundown Inverclyde Centre homelessness unit - FIVE years after it was condemned as not fit for purpose.

Greenock Telegraph:

The long overdue move comes following the tragic death of a man at the centre and mounting pressure from families and former staff members.

Incoming convener of the district's integrated joint board (IJB) - which overseas health and social care matters - Councillor Robert Moran admitted that 'bad decisions' had been made in the past.

Under a new policy, backed up with redirected funding, the district's health and social care partnership (HSCP) has begun closing rooms at the hostel and is engaging with registered social landlords.

Meanwhile, intensive support is being provided to people with the most complex needs in a bid to stop repeated stays at the centre.

The IJB was told that the speed of change had been belatedly ramped up following a visit to the unit by HSCP chief officer Kate Rocks.

Councillor Robert Moran said: "I want to thank the team for the phenomenal job in such a short space of time.

"I think it is important to recognise that we have got here ourselves, we put the resources in to make it happen and alleviate the bad decisions that had been taken in the past about the Inverclyde Centre.

"Let's be honest, the less people in there the better, because it is not the place if I was homeless I would want to spend my night or my weeks."

The HSCP intends to replace the centre by using empty social housing as emergency accommodation.

Bosses had hoped to have a purpose built centre as part of a new vision but the funding for that proposed project didn't materialise from the Scottish Government.

Councillor Moran said: "It is important that registered social landlords play an important role, the accommodation has to be the correct accommodation in the correct location or it can backfire spectacularly, as we know.

"A lot of thought has to go into where to place people and the support mechanisms have to be there.

"We have cases where people are in a house on a Friday afternoon and back at our door on a Monday morning when things happen, then they are back in the Inverclyde Centre."

In the last ten months the homelessness service has picked up pace using funding from different budgets within health and social care to create eight support worker posts.

They work on shifts around the clock, seven days a week to help 24 individuals who have complex needs into housing.

Interim head of homelessness Gail Kilblane said: "We were hearing a lot of comments from social landlords that we couldn't house these people without the support, so I made it my commitment that we would deliver that support because it is the only way we can achieve housing.

"We are quite clear about our commitment. Life is not within the Inverclyde Centre.

"I wouldn't want to be homeless and within the Inverclyde Centre myself so why would I expect that to be the ok for people who use my service."

A wide ranging report shows that long term homelessness has fallen overall in Inverclyde.

Seven rooms are now closed at the Inverclyde Centre. A support lounge has been open since December 2022 with more services on hand.

A former member of staff also raised the alarm about a lack of access to vital nursing care as well as alcohol and drug services.

The mother of Anthony Fowler, who died in the centre, also hit out at the lack of support and called for its closure.