OLDER people living in several housing association-run sheltered housing schemes say they are furious at plans to make their support workers redundant.

Residents living in complexes, owned by Moat Housing, are the latest to be told they may no longer have someone employed to keep an eye on them.

The changes are a result of Bexley Council moving away from “block contracts” for care and support and instead giving the elderly and disabled “personal budgets” which gives those entitled to financial help from the council, the ability to buy in their own care from wherever they choose.

At 58, Jackie Moore is the youngest resident at Ockley Court, a 48-flat Moat scheme in Main Road, Sidcup, where she says residents have been told their support worker is to go.

She said: “Most of our residents are in their late 80s and early 90s and we will suffer if she goes.”

She explained: Although she lives off-site, she is here five days a week and we have been told she will be gone from April 1.

“We have lots of communal facilities. Who is going to be responsible for those?

“What will we do if someone needs help?”

A Moat spokesman confirmed it is reviewing its support workers’ role in light of Bexley’s decision.

He added: “While the proposed changes are still under discussion, we would like to make clear we remain committed to retaining an on-site member of staff in these sheltered schemes.

“Although we cannot comment on individual staffing matters, we will do everything possible to keep redundancies to a minimum.”

Its director of sheltered and supported housing Tony Morgan, said Moat supported residents “in their wish for a member of staff to be based at their sheltered schemes”.

He added it was in talks with Bexley to find a way to do it.

Moat has four supported schemes in Bexley with 188 flats.