CHARITIES today accused Edinburgh council chiefs of putting the city's most vulnerable residents "up for sale".
It comes as nearly 30 voluntary groups that provide vital services across the city face losing their long-standing contracts to the private sector.
The changes could affect hundreds of adults with a range of disabilities, such as learning difficul
ties, acquired brain injuries and mental health problems.
Charity workers say that personal links between volunteers and clients built up over several years will be "broken" by the process, causing anxiety and fear for users.
The convener of Holyrood's cross-party group on learning disability, Jackie Baillie MSP, also criticised the council and warned of "unhelpful disruption" for the vulnerable people involved.
The local authority spends around £120 million each year on social care and housing support services, provided by a mixture of 650 voluntary and private organisations.
It is the council's choice to advertise more contracts on the open market, but EU rules will require it to show openness and transparency in awarding them.
Ian Hood, co-ordinator of the Learning Disability Alliance Scotland – which includes groups such as Enable Scotland and Down's Syndrome Scotland – said vulnerable residents could be "moved like objects" from provider to provider.
"This is cost-cutting at the expense of the most vulnerable people in the city," he said.
"Many other local authorities are taking a more sensible approach and negotiating with providers on service change. In Edinburgh, just like with the trams, they have forgotten that there are real human beings using and living with these services."
The tenders are understood to be for "non core" care at home and housing support services, and will affect well-known organisations such as the Thistle Foundation, Ark Housing Association and the Action Group. New contracts will be in place by April next year.
Ms Baillie said: "I am extremely concerned about this latest move. The benefits are less than clear and, meanwhile, there is huge and unhelpful disruption for the very vulnerable people involved."
Jimmy McIntosh, chairman of Partners in Advocacy and a former long-stay resident at Gogarburn Hospital, added: "This is going backwards, not forwards. People should be having more say over their own support, not being sold off to the highest bidder."
Former Labour group leader Ewan Aitken added: "The administration's agenda is being driven by potential savings and not by the needs of vulnerable adults."
But health and social care leader Paul Edie insisted: "The welfare of our service users is paramount. The number of people currently waiting for services is growing and we have a responsibility to try to meet their needs through more efficient service purchasing."
Groups that could lose out under new plans• The Action Group
• Alzheimer Scotland
• Ark HA
• Barony Housing Association
• Carr-Gomm Scotland
• Crossroads (Edinburgh)
• ELCAP (East Lothian Care Accommodation Project)
• Enable
• Freespace
• Garvald
• Health in Mind
• Leonard Cheshire Services
• Link Living
• MBHA
• Penumbra
• Places for People Scotland
• Prestonfield & District
• QCCCP
• Redwoods Caring Foundation
• Rowan Alba – Thorntree St
• Saheliya
• SAMH – St Katherine
• Scottish Society on Autism
• Scottish Veterans' Housing Association
• SHARE Scotland
• Social Care Recruitment & Training
• The Thistle Foundation
The full article contains 555 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
