PLEDGE WATCH: THE first two special housing centres for adults promised by the council have opened in Swindon.

They are the first of five to be opened by 2010, under Swindon Council's Promise 32.

The first is at Newburgh House.

The second is The Ridings, which has 30 one-bedroom units, on-call support staff, as well as a restaurant to let people with special needs live as independently as possible.

The council said that a third, at Harry Garret Court will be opened shortly with Sanctuary Housing Associat-ion.

The three schemes will create 45 residential places this year.

On Friday, a centre opened at The Ridings to offer residents there more help to live independently in their own flats.

In what the council said was a first for Swindon, the extra care resource centre gives 24-hour on-call help, along with a restaurant, hairdressers', chiropodist and day centre.

The scheme is a joint council, Kennet Housing and the Department of Health project.

New schemes are being considered in the Southern Development Area and Pipers Way, as well as in the east and south of the borough.

Along with the extra housing pledged in Promise 32, a council spokeswoman said that the local authority was making progress on giving more direct payments for residents to hire their own in-home support workers.

She said that the number of people receiving direct payments had grown from 60 to 65 in the past two months.

The council has also employed a direct payment care manager to extend the scheme within the adult services department.

Children's services are planning a direct payment pilot project. The spokeswoman said that the adult social care department had entered a long-term partnership with community groups to offer better support to more people.

The council has joined Kent County Council in looking for ways to streamline its help services. Outgoing adult social care cabinet member, Coun Ian Dobie, said the new resource centre was providing better care for those who needed it.

"The resource centre will be staffed by people who will work with carers and other agencies to present the best quality of life to users," he said.

"The services will be continually monitored to ensure users get the most out of the service and there will also be regular consultations so we know we are meeting the right demands."

Director of Kennet Housing Society Jane McCluskey said the centre would revitalise The Ridings.

"Resource centres such as this are a real asset to communities and I hope that many people will be able to make use of the facilities on offer here," she said.

"Our partnership has shown what can be achieved by working together on projects such as this."