On Thursday 18th April every next of kin of the residents in Leslie House received a telephone call from the then Unit Manager to say that Leslie House would be closing within three or four months. The Unit Manger made those calls on her own initiative because she didn't want relatives to be learning of the closure from the media. As it happens, the next of kin have brothers and sisters who, for different reasons we could not contact before the news broke. The result was that it was through the media on that evening that some relatives first heard that their mothers and fathers were to lose their home.

Some ten days later, in the course of visiting Leslie House, and having heard nothing in between, the next of kin were each handed letter from the Director of Social Work of the Church of Scotland saying that Leslie House would be closing for financial reasons. No more than that! The Director of Social Work also wrote to each resident in Leslie House notwithstanding that many of the residents are incapable of understanding a formal letter. At this point it has to be explained that one resident for two or three years has lived with a terrible fear. This resident expresses that fear by saying that she is terrified that someone will put her away. Indeed, in the course of an hours visit she may express that fear 10 or 12 times. Despite being reassured on each occasion, the sadness of her dementia is such that it lets her forget the reassurance that she is given, but it does not let her forget her initial fear.

That resident can still read. She would not understand, however, phrases in the letter from the Director of Social Work such as: "…which has also impacted on its ability to underpin other areas of the service.", but she would understand the phrase: "Leslie House will close". In light of that resident's constant fear, it is not difficult to imagine the devastation that that phrase would have caused had she been allowed to read the letter. As the letter was addressed to that resident, it is clear, however sadly, that the intention was that she read it. As it happens, a care assistant, who was aware of that resident's condition, handed the letter to resident's next of kin.

If a proper assessment had been carried out to determine what impact the decision to close Leslie House would have on the residents, it would have been clear that that resident and many of the other residents must not be exposed to such potential for causing trauma. As it happens, the Convenor of the Board of Social Responsibility, on 14th May 2002, told the Group that no assessment whatsoever has been carried out. Such is the lack of care employed by the Board.

The next of kin reacted to this uncaring and unchristian process, which had been adopted by the Board of Social Responsibility by getting together as a group and discussing the situation and the options that were available to them. It transpired, from the psychiatric and other medical opinion, which was available to them and from the opinion of professional care workers who had cared for the residents for years, that many of the relatives shared the fear that moves, such as were planned by the Board of Social responsibility would prove fatal to some of the residents. The group realised that the Board cannot close Leslie House as long as there are people living there. As most of the residents are incapable of acting for themselves, the next of kin is required to consent to the new financial agreement that would have to be entered into with the owner of a new home, before the resident could be moved. As a consequence, the Leslie House 21 Group was born and the next of kin, who are members of the Group, are withholding that consent.

The Group, apart from one letter from the Church's Depute Director of Social Work (Operations), Mr. David J. Kellock, which letter is dated, 1st July 2002, have heard nothing further from the Board of Social Responsibility. The terms of that letter are both threatening and intimidating and were designed to frighten the next of kin into giving consent for the residents to be moved. In the letter the Depute Director of Social Work summoned the next of kin to a meeting on 13th July 2002. Not only did that letter fail in its intent, it both hurt and angered the relatives and served only to make the relatives all the more determined to ensure that the residents will not be evicted from their home.

Before the meeting, on several occasions, the group wrote to Mr. Kellock explaining the shared concern about the potential for fatalities. In the circumstances, a reasonable man, who did not share the Group's concerns, might have brought to the meeting a specialist who could try to reassure the Group that the fears were groundless. Mr Kellock did bring someone to the meeting with him to talk to the Group. He didn't bring a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist or a doctor. He brought an accountant! That serves to demonstrate where lies the interest of the Depute Director and heart of the Board of Social Responsibility.

Having heard on 18th April 2002 that Leslie House was to close, it wasn't until 14th May 2002 that the Group learned that it was planned to close it on 31st July 2002. Indeed, if the Group hadn't asked when the planned closure date was to be, there is no saying when Group would have learned when the decision to close was to be implemented. Such is the uncaring, imperious arrogance of the Board and its Officers that they thought that taking the decision to close was suffice to ensure that Leslie House would be emptied and the closure process complete.

The closure process adopted by the Board of Social Responsibility is an affront to the members of the Church of Scotland.

The closure process has not been successful. For the foreseeable future, there will be frail, elderly people enjoying their right to their home in Leslie House.