ELDERLY residents living in two very sheltered accommodation homes are set to learn next month whether their overnight warden service will be axed.

As previously reported in the Advertiser/Messenger, tenants at Shenstone Court, off Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, and Crabtree Court, in Sidemoor, fear that Bromsgrove District Housing Trust will withdraw its round-the-clock care service as part of a cost-cutting review. The review has been ordered by the Government-funded Supporting People group, which funds the complexes.

Supporting People is based at County Hall in Worcester and provides assistance and support for vulnerable people.

However, it is having its cash allocation cut by the Government.

The proposed changes will see the two homes staffed from 8am until 10pm, before they are passed into the care of the Lifeline Control Centre in Bromsgrove.

Lifeline would then answer calls activated by alarms or pendants.

The proposals are set to be put to the housing trust's board at the end of September.

Sue Rollason, head of supported services at BDHT, revealed that the cutbacks would save the trust around £11,000 per care home.

"We are talking about a big deficit to run this service," she said. "It costs us £31 per night to have someone on the scheme."

She added that although she understood the residents' desire to keep the night warden service, Lifeline provides a commendable service.

"When we have done surveys on our services, Lifeline has always been one of the most praised aspects, whether it be for its overall service or response time.

"Lifeline is trained to be able to ask certain questions and respond to a certain situation," she added.

Residents have until September 1 to put their views in writing.

Margaret Norton, who chairs the residents' association at Shenstone Court, said she wants people there to hand her their suggestions and proposals in order that they may be consolidated before being presented to the board for consideration.