BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Care & Repair service was set up in East Lothian in 1987 by the then East Lothian District Council and Scottish Office Development Department and was managed by Shelter (Scotland) for 5 years. Since 1993 East Lothian Housing Association has acted as managing agent with revenue funding secured on an annual basis from East Lothian Council.
The main core service of Care & Repair East Lothian is to assist clients to carry out essential repairs and maintenance or adapt their home to make it suitable for changing needs. Works are usually funded by either the client themselves, local authority repair and improvement grants or charitable funds, but usually a mixture from all these sources. The client base is home owners or private tenants over 60 years or persons with a disability over 50 years.
The Small Repairs Service was established in 2003 and provides a high quality service centred on minor repairs and assistance, focusing on those needs relating to the health and safety of clients. The service was very popular and the demand allowed us to apply for additional funding to expand the service. Additional funding was received in 2007 to expand the service with an additional Small Repairs Officer and a full time administrative post. This funding was initially for 1 year, however East Lothian Council has undertaken to continue to fund this enhanced service which is of major benefit to the community.
The aim of the Small Repairs Service is to stop minor maintenance problems erupting into major works. The types of small repairs range from fitting items such as grab and hand rails, door locks, safety chains and viewers, doorbells, renewing sash cords, timber window sills and keysafes. The expansion of the Service has allowed us to extend our offering to small electrical appliance repairs, advice on larger electrical jobs and offer an Electrical Home Safety Check.
Care & Repair East Lothian has a strong link into Care & Repair Forum Scotland which is the national co-ordinating body for Care & Repair Officers in Scotland. With funding from the Scottish Government, the Forum assists the development of Care & Repair in Scotland through training, advice, information and support as well as promoting Care & Repair nationally. For further information about the work of the Care & Repair Forum, please telephone 0141 221 9879.
