Southend Council has reprieved more than 200 jobs threatened with the axe as part of a major social services shake-up, it was revealed yesterday.

Senior officers have found alternative posts for dozens of care workers affected by the closure of three old people's homes.

Around 140 jobs have been found within the social services department and a further 125 will be slotted in to other posts across the council.

Three employees have found themselves other jobs.

Director of social services, Jane Held, said there would probably be no compulsory redundancies from the homes closures.

She added: "Clearly there will be staff who are unhappy with their first offers. We intend to meet with the unions soon to look at any mismatched posts, they will then be reviewed and a new offer made.

"There are staff, too, who may wish to take voluntary redundancy."

Ms Held maintained the controversial closure of Balmoral, Blenheim and Friars homes had so far gone smoothly. Balmoral in Westcliff has been "successfully" shut altogether.

She added: "We have had no complaints whatsoever from clients about their move to alternative accommodation, which is pleasing.

"The department has also faced no problems at all finding vacancies for clients in the private sector."

Chief executive and town clerk, George Krawiec, paid warm tributes to Ms Held and her staff for successfully transferring elderly people to their new homes.

He said: "Jane and her staff ought to be congratulated for managing a very difficult situation in fraught circumstances.

"It is clearly a difficult process to oversee something like this without causing hassle or upsets for clients and ensuring there are no compulsory redundancies. This is great news."

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