Introduction
In 1973, a small group of staff at Dingleton Hospital, Melrose, decided they wanted to help their patients to live in ordinary houses in the community. They decided the best way to achieve this was through the creation of a housing association which would be run as a charitable organisation by volunteers.
From this seed of an idea, Eildon Housing Association has grown and branched out into a group structure that provides over 2,500 people with quality affordable houses - and for those with special needs, the care and support they need to enjoy maximum independence in a community of their choice.
The following synopsis plots the key stages in Eildon's development so far. Use the links below to read more.
The Early Years, 1973-1979
On 16 February 1973, a Steering Group met at Dingleton Hospital, Melrose to discuss the possibility of creating a housing association with the aim of purchasing existing houses in the community in which people ready to leave institutional care could live independently whilst still receiving support from Dingleton staff. This pioneering approach developed at Dingleton Hospital was the forerunner of what we now call 'Care in the Community'.
During this early period Eildon H.A. acquired a number of houses in Melrose, Galashiels and Selkirk financed through grants obtained from the Scottish Office administered through the local authority.
Although the financial viability of the Association in those early years was always precarious it is a great credit to the voluntary Committee Members that they achieved their objective and laid the foundations for the successful organisation it is today.
The Important Transitionary Phase, 1980-84
The early eighties brought increasing opportunities for housing associations to address a wider range of housing problems. Eildon H.A. responded, characteristically, by considering a more ambitious and diverse role throughout the Scottish Borders.
Under the Chairmanship of Sir Russell Sanderson, followed by Bill Wilkie in 1982, an agreement was reached with The Housing Corporation for Eildon H.A. to provide a more strategic role. This led in 1985 to Eildon H.A. taking on its first staff and the beginning of an annual multi-million pound rolling development programme across the Borders.
A Successful and Expanding Organisation, 1985-95
The following decade saw Eildon H.A. completing £25 million of development in over 40 locations throughout the Borders.
With over 800 tenants, a staff of 40 and an annual turnover of £1.6 million, Eildon H.A. transformed itself into one of Scotland's most effective and respected regional housing associations.
One of Scotland's Leading Housing Associations, 1996-2001
In addition to operating a successful development programme which provided over 100 new houses each year, Eildon acquired properties through the acquisition of former Scottish Homes stock in Tweeddale and Health Board stock at Huntlyburn, Melrose.
There was also a major commitment to help Scottish Borders Council and Borders Health Trusts to achieve their Community Care objectives through a number of new projects including very sheltered housing for older people, and the relocation of a ward of Dingleton Hospital into a purpose designed residential home for people with dementia - one of the first to be owned and run by a housing association in Scotland. Further initiatives were launched through the provision of a Housing Support Service to vulnerable tenants living in Eildon's normal housing stock, confirming Eildon's commitment to a wide range of care and support services which employs about 60% of Eildon's staff.
The Association's commitment to quality was confirmed in 1999 with the award of an 'A' Performance Rating from the housing regulator Scottish Homes, one of only a handful of housing associations to receive the highest grading.
Creating a New Group Structure to a Wider Range of Initiatives, 2002-04
During these years Eildon's Committee of Management assessed the challenge of extending Eildon's skills beyond housing and care into wider action initiatives that supports community development.
For over 20 years Eildon carried out Wider Action projects when they formed part of an Eildon housing development.
With the need to look at the regeneration of communities in a broader context Eildon worked closely with Communities Scotland and Scottish Borders Council to consider how best to respond to the needs of communities within a community planning framework.
As a result Eildon looked at its own structure and developed a new Group Structure which was launched at the Eildon Housing Association AGM in August 2004.
With this new Group Structure in place the Eildon Group then responded to a wide variety of community led initiatives and provided a range of skills for new projects and services to make communities more sustainable and viable.
Eildon Housing Association continued to concentrate on Social Rented Housing and the provision of Care and Support Services.
Eildon Tweed Valley concentrated on the delivery of Agency Services for other housing organisations.
Eildon Enterprise concentrated on the delivery of projects and services to the wider community.
Eildon Consolidated its Position, 2003-04
In 2004 Eildon Housing Association was selected to take part in the Pathfinder Inspection Process carried out by the Regulation and Inspection division of The Scottish Housing Regulator (formerly Communities Scotland).
As a result of this new form of Inspection by the housing regulator, Eildon received its Final Report in May 2004. The conclusions of this report gave Eildon an overall 'A' Grade Performance with the comment "Eildon is an excellent performer with major strengths. Its prospects for improvement overall are excellent". Full copies of the Report are available below as a download.
The contents of this Report confirmed Eildon as one of the leading housing associations in Scotland with key strengths across all the core activities of the association.
Preparing for Change 2005 onwards
At the Committee of Management 'Away Day' in 2005 it was agreed that Eildon needed to develop its structure to prepare itself for the challenges ahead. A Change Working Party was formed consisting of Committee Members and the Management Team to progress the need to change to make the organisation more efficient and effective. The main areas identified for change were as follows:
- Locate to one central office
- Installation of a fully integrated Management Information System
- Introduction of new flexible working policies for staff
- The adoption of new services for tenants, including more on-line services
In June 2009 an important part of the Change Agenda was completed when the office based staff all moved to a new office located in The Weaving Shed in Selkirk.
This purpose designed office provides first class facilities for staff with the latest technology to enable better services to be provided on-line and by new telephone based systems. A new MIS system has also been installed and staff are able to work in a flexible manner. Further development of tenant based services will be developed during 2009/10 to provide tenants with easier access to information and services.
Key Sponsor of BCIF
Eildon is a key sponsor of the Borders Construction Industry Forum, which operates out of Eildon's offices in Selkirk. This Forum was the first of its kind in Scotland and aims to work with all sectors of the building industry to make it more competitive and capable of responding to the increased volume of work anticipated in the Scottish Borders over the next 10 years.
Eildon will continue to work closely with BCIF and help it to export its knowledge to other areas of Scotland. For further information see their website.
Agency Services for Housing Organisations
Eildon will continue to explore Agency Service opportunities in addition to those contracts already established with Rural Stirling HA and SBHA.
Support for 'New Ways Borders Strategic Board'
Eildon is also a strong supporter of the 'New Ways' Community Planning Forum and senior staff from Eildon are represented on the Forum and several of the Theme Teams. Eildon believes the Community Planning Process will be a significant catalyst in transforming the planning process and encouraging partnership initiatives.
Support for Borders Housing Network
Eildon will continue to work closely with our RSL colleagues in the Borders through the Borders Housing Network which consists of Berwickshire Housing Association, Eildon Housing Association, Scottish Borders Housing Association and Waverley Housing.
Regular meetings of the Network Members are held to explore areas for joint working and to discuss matters of common interest.
Borders Care and Repair Service
In 2004 Eildon signed an Agency Service Agreement with Scottish Borders Council to provide a Care and Repair Service for the Central Borders which has now become a Scottish Borders wide Care and Repair Service.
This service is the responsibility of Eildon Enterprise Ltd.
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