A Renfrewshire veterans’ care home has been praised by a watchdog after receiving high marks in an inspection report.
Two members of the Care Inspectorate made an unannounced visit over four days to Erskine Home in Bishopton.
Based on a scale of one to six where one is unsatisfactory and six is excellent, it was rated as five – meaning ‘very good’ – for the five categories in which it was assessed.
Among the key messages, the report by the inspectors said staff at the Ferry Road facility were “caring and compassionate towards people”.
It added that: “People felt safe and cared for, and families had peace of mind. The setting was spacious and people and families enjoyed using the facilities.
“Good training was on offer for staff and they were comfortable and happy in their roles and there was a large range of quality assurance systems in place that gave the manager good oversight of the service.”
To prepare for the inspection, the Care Inspectorate reviewed information about the service.
This included previous inspection findings, registration details, information submitted by the service and intelligence gathered since the last inspection.
In making its evaluations, the Care Inspectorate spoke 18 people using the service and 10 of their family; spoke with staff and management; reviewed completed questionnaires from staff and families; observed practice and daily life; reviewed documents and spoke with visiting professionals.
Within their report, the inspectors noted: “There was a warm and welcoming atmosphere in each of the house units and we saw that staff had caring and respectful relationships with people.
“Relatives we spoke with were highly impressed with their loved ones accommodation and other facilities in the home.
“People were involved in different types of interests and activities throughout the day and there were specialised activity staff in place to encourage this.”
Erskine Home is registered to provide care for up to 180 older people. To use the service, you must be a veteran or spouse of a veteran. At the time of inspection, there were 177 people living in the service.
Leadership and staff at the facility were recognised throughout the inspectors’ report. Within the report, staff were praised for working well together, for their communication and for their working relationships.
It was also noted: “Staff, relatives and people experiencing support told us that management were approachable and responsive to any contact made with them.
“They told us they were comfortable in approaching the service manager, or other managers, if they had any complaints or enquiries.”
The home’s setting was also ranked as ‘very good’ and praised throughout the watchdog’s publication.
It stated: “On entering the service, the layout was spacious, welcoming and warm, as well as attractive, bright and very clean.
“Secure garden areas on the ground floor were easily accessible for people and had attractive garden furniture in place.
“The service had access to a dedicated maintenance and facilities team. We saw that they kept all repairs up to date, as well as ensuring that all safety checks were carried out on equipment and systems.”
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