Two local authorities in Scotland have stepped in to run home-based care and support services for more than 200 vulnerable people after the previous provider closed down.

North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire councils will employ 97 staff from Premier Home Care (Scotland) Ltd after it ceased trading last week.

The services will now be provided by the two councils’ newly created health and social care partnerships, which together with East Ayrshire are the first to be launched in Scotland.

‘There were clearly a number of things we had to consider during our detailed talks with Premier Home Care and all other interested parties,’ said Anthea Dickson, cabinet member for health and social care at North Ayrshire Council. ‘But our primary concern was always the service users and ensuring there was no disruption to the service both in the short-term and as we move forward in the longer term.

‘We have a really good track record of care provision and I'm confident that by taking on the service in-house we can move forward seamlessly and continue to provide a high standard of care.’

South Ayrshire’s Council’s portfolio holder for health and social care, Councillor Rita Miller, said: ‘This has been a very challenging time for everyone involved and we've had to move extremely quickly to ensure we continue to provide high-quality care for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

‘I'm very pleased that, as far as our service users are concerned, it will be very much business as usual and we're contacting them directly to provide that reassurance. Our focus will be to ensure a smooth and seamless transition over the weekend and the continued provision of the best possible service.’