Annual Impact Report 2024
Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership
Empty homes are being used to tackle the shortage of affordable accommodation for health and social care workers in Argyll and Bute.
The Health and Social Care Partnership Empty Homes Project commenced in September 2023 when Isla Binnie was appointed as EHO. Working to identify key stakeholders within HSCP, she spoke to the relevant locality managers to identify where housing was needed and what type of housing was required. By investing her time in these discussions, she created a database of employee needs to ensure requirements were met when sourcing housing and continues to be used. A variety of housing solutions were, and continue to be, needed to reflect the diversity of the workers’ circumstances; some relocate on a permanent basis, whilst others move to the area temporarily to deliver essential health services.
Strategic Housing Funding has been approved for refurbishment of one property in Oban, two on the Isle of Coll and one on the Isle of Tiree, which is included in the remodel of a care home. These are areas of high demand for housing which has impacted on recruitment for HSCP, thereby negatively impacting the capacity of existing staff. The EHO is currently liaising with HSCP managers to identify the best way to refurbish the properties to meet identified need.
In addition, commercial buildings and how they may be renovated into worker accommodation is being explored. An unused NHS Dental Surgery on the Isle of Islay has been identified as a potential project with provisional plans being drawn up by HSCP. Islay, like most islands, has a large number of self-catering accommodation and second homes which has an adverse effect on HSCP staff coming to the island and looking for housing.
The biggest challenge to date has been trying to build strong connections with HSCP, a vast organisation with many different departments and the lack of suitable housing impacting other parts of their delivery. HSCP set up specific working groups in recognition of these challenges which the EHO attends, providing feedback on the project, raising any issues and action points for HSCP to address.
Going forward, the EHO will continue to reach out to long term empty owners in areas of high demand to promote the project.
