Bield withdrew from care home provision a year ago, and said it is looking forward to a sustainable future

A charity which had to close several care homes last year has said it is confident for the future.

Bield announced it was withdrawing from care home provision 12 months ago, with the charity saying it needed to secure it future and meet the changing needs of those it supports. Eight care homes were closed, whilst four were transferred to other providers.

At its annual general meeting this week, a new strategic direction for the organisation was unveiled which Bield said will see it through the coming years and beyond into its 50th anniversary.

The charity’s chairwoman Susan Napier said: “We will be here long into the future. We need to adapt, make changes and innovate.

“If we keep doing that, we will deliver housing and services that meet the needs of a growing ageing population in Scotland; supporting more people to live independent and fulfilling lives.”

Napier said while the new strategic direction has meant that tough and painful decisions surrounding the operation of the organisation have had to be made, the decisions were key to giving the charity a sustainable future.

She added: “Securing the long-term future of Bield was paramount and necessary for the many thousands of older people who live in our homes and use our services.

“One of our core strengths is our recognition that change is constant. In doing so, we have often led the way for others.

“Our new strategic direction is bold and ambitious and there is more change ahead. But where there is change, there are opportunities.”

Napier cited the example of Fleming Place; a Bield development of 40 new lifetime homes for the over 50s in Edinburgh, a city where affordable housing is in high demand from people who want to continue to live and work there.

The development provides the first showcase of Bield’s new strategy to be well positioned for the future – and which continues to provide innovative housing solutions fit for now and the future to address the needs of the next generation of older people.

She said: “The reaction from tenants precisely illustrates what we are trying to achieve and why we exist; that is to improve the quality of lives of older people. They are telling us their quality of life has changed since moving into Fleming Place.

“Going forward, we are also growing our new model of flexible home care and will pilot this service in a number of new locations.

“During the last year, we visited many of our developments, speaking to tenants and people who use our services to see first-hand the difference we make to older people. It’s what drives us forward – and what is what will continue to drive us forward.”