Home helps face cutbacks

THE number of home helps in East Lothian is set to be cut as council chiefs bid to make more than £100,000 a year in budget savings.

The reduction in home helps is set to be achieved through voluntary redundancies and redeployment after East Lothian Council agreed to the move.

A report to council chiefs said the introduction of eligibility criteria for social care services in 2005 had led to more people being supported through the domiciliary care service, producing a drop in demand for home helps.

The report proposed the development of a preventive services, and support for carers backed up by a campaign to boost the uptake of welfare benefits.