An island community has mobilised against a funding cut which could leave the island with no sheltered housing accommodation.
Trust Housing Association, which operates the Glen Iosal complex in Tobermory, has had the funding from the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) withdrawn.
The £20,000 housing support is no longer available from April 2018, forcing Trust to cut its warden hours.
The decision was taken by Argyll and Bute Council a number of years ago.
Now the housing association has told residents of the 25 flats it has no choice but to downgrade Glen Iosal.
The warden service will be reduced from 35 hours a week to 25.
Around 100 locals demonstrated at the complex when senior managers from the HSCP met with residents last week.
Katharine Elwis, spokeswoman for the campaign group, said: “There is nowhere else on Mull for mentally ill or elderly people to get sheltered accommodation with a warden. Oban’s nursing homes are pretty full and it means we have to send our loved ones miles away to Dunoon, Lochgilphead or Helensburgh. This goes against the HSCP’s aims. Its strategic plan talks about keeping people with their families, keeping people together.
“This was a brilliant resource for our island.
“It is going to cost the tax payer more money if these people have to be re-housed or put into hospital.”
Shaun Davidson, the HSCP’s local area manager on Mull, said: “The idea is to bring the THA services – the last of the warden-type old housing support service contracts – in line with the rest of sheltered housing provision in Argyll and Bute.
“However, while everyone is trying hard to make the best use of reducing budgets and identify solutions, we are, of course, aware that every complex is unique.
“Before we make any changes, we will conduct a full consultation process to ensure that all the residents’ individual needs and requirements are met.
“If any resident feels that they need personal care, we will refer them to a social care worker and an assessment will be carried out to see if they meet the criteria to access our care at home services.”
Jennifer Wallace, Head of Housing and Support Services for Trust, said: “We appreciate this is a difficult time for our staff, tenants and their families, and we are continuing to work with the council, our tenants and the board to discuss how the service will look going forward. We are working with the local social care services to explore opportunities to deliver services to tenants in a different way.”
