Significant strengths were found in the care provided at an Ayrshire residential unit, following an inspection by the Care Inspectorate.
Hillcrest Residential Unit and Care Home Service, in Girvan’s McConnell Square, was praised for aspects of the care they provide.
It follows an unannounced inspection at the council-owned unit earlier this month.
The Care Inspectorate said they were grading Hillcrest as ‘very good’ in the way they support people’s wellbeing and ‘very good’ for their leadership.
Hillcrest is registered as a care home to provide residential care for up to 15 older people, of which three can be for respite care. At the time of the inspection, 12 people were living there.
An extract from the Care Inspectorate report said: “We found significant strengths in aspects of the care provided and how these supported positive outcomes for people. Staff created a homely environment where people experienced warmth, kindness and compassion in how they were supported and cared for.
“Staff knew residents very well, and had a good understanding of their needs, wishes and aspirations.”
The unit, it was said, had detailed care plans in place which reflected the “responsive person-centred approach” to care and support provided.
The report goes on: “There were very good examples of individuals’ choices and preferences in care plans. This guided staff to ensure that people’s choices and wishes were respected.”
One resident told inspectors: “I am long-standing Ayr United fan, I enjoy watching games on my TV in the privacy of my own room and staff keep me updated with any games that are on TV.
“I enjoy when staff show an interest in sports, and I can talk to them about it.”
The Care Inspectorate also noted that residents benefitted from “regular and robust health assessments” and that staff accessed a range of health care professionals for “advice and support” when needed to manage individuals’ healthcare needs.
This ensured people’s healthcare needs were being managed in an “agreed and consistent manner.”
The unit’s ability to keep residents active was also commended, with the report stating: “Staff were extremely creative in how they involved people in meaningful activity to help their wellbeing and support good mental health. Our observations showed a wide range of activities being carried out, based on people’s preferences with active encouraging engagement. People were enjoying being involved and taking part.
“Staff were very good at encouraging people to move regularly to ensure that they continued to be as active as they could be.”
The report noted there was a “culture of continuous service improvement” at Hillcrest Residential unit, that was driven by the manager who “led staff by example” and used “effective systems” to assess the quality of service provision and to ensure “very good standards of practice.”
The report adds: “This meant the manager had a clear knowledge of day to day operations and how this affected people’s outcomes.”
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