Update on closure of Inverclyde Centre
Plans to close the Inverclyde Centre are moving ahead with the doors set to close early next year.
From January 2026, people who are assessed as unintentionally homeless will be provided with temporary accommodation in the community.
Following discussions with staff and trade union representatives, it is proposed that Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) will take over the out-of-hours homelessness service once the centre closes.
A paper on the plan will be presented at the upcoming Inverclyde Integrated Joint Board (IJB) - the organisation responsible for managing Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) - meeting on 8 September. If approved, the Inverclyde Centre would close in January with Glasgow City HSCP taking over the out-of-hours service from then. Glasgow City HSCP currently delivers Inverclyde’s out-of-hours social work service.
Anyone who presents as homeless in Inverclyde will be assessed over the phone by trained professional staff and be provided with access to out-of-hours support and will be able to access temporary accommodation in Inverclyde where required. The new approach also includes the establishment of a permanent housing support team in Inverclyde.
The move towards a community-based approach comes after significant research, planning and consultation, and will have a primary focus on early intervention and prevention to combat the national trend of increasing homelessness applications.
The Inverclyde Centre building on Dalrymple Street, Greenock, was opened in 1944 and has space for up to 24 people. The model of emergency accommodation in a communal setting is identified as being out of step with national policy, local strategic ambitions and best practice in homelessness services.
Challenges such as anti-social behaviour, risks to vulnerable groups and staff and trauma exposure have driven the change, alongside staff and service user feedback.
By closing the centre, the number of temporary furnished flats in Inverclyde will increase and Inverclyde HSCP is working with registered social landlords on this.
Stakeholders and partners including registered social landlords, Police Scotland, third-sector organisations, strategic housing services, and a range of HSCP services have been included in the decommissioning process.
Members of the Inverclyde IJB agreed in November 2024 to move to a community-based temporary accommodation model and close the centre.
The future of the building, which is owned by Inverclyde Council, is under discussion with an update expected later in 2026.