A CARE-AT-HOME and housing support service has been rated ‘good’ following a visit by the Scottish Care Inspectorate.

The unannounced inspection took place in September and saw service users and their families, as well as staff and management, spoken to by an inspector.

A report has now been released which awarded a four-star quality grading – six being the top ranking.

East Lothian Council – Homecare Services is a combined care-at-home and housing support service, delivering personal care and independent support to residents across East Lothian.

It currently delivers 1,346 hours of care per week, supporting 230 individuals and their families.

Fiona Wilson, chief officer at East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP), said: “This is a great achievement for East Lothian’s homecare service and is a testament to the dedication and commitment each member of the team plays in supporting individuals with daily activities in accordance with their assessed needs and agreed personal outcomes.

“Knowing that, in older age, people prefer to live in their own homes for as long as possible, the homecare team provide an invaluable service to support clients to live independently at home, whilst providing reassurance and easing the pressure for family members.

“We are grateful to the Care Inspectorate for the positive feedback and recommendations on how we can continue to enhance this valued service further.”

'Warm, respectful and compassionate'

The homecare team also provides a specialist emergency care service which responds to community alarm calls, mainly related to falls or requests for urgent care support needs.

A key feature of the report highlighted the “warm, respectful and compassionate interactions between staff and people using the service”.

The inspection report also observed that “staff took their time in providing care; this ensured positive outcomes for people and a level of care that met people’s needs and preferences”.

It included positive remarks for the emergency care service, noting that “people could be confident that their urgent care needs would be supported”.

Having recently introduced a new electronic care monitoring system, the homecare team are already starting to see the benefits of this new technology.

Improvements in communication and engagement between colleagues, the ability to monitor and evaluate care quality effectively and deliver an enhanced care experience for clients and their family members are said to be just a few of the benefits.

With an increase in demand for care-at-home services, ELHSCP’s home-

care team is currently recruiting care support workers to join the team and support individuals to live independently in their own homes.

Visit eastlothian.gov.uk/elhscp for more information about East Lothian’s homecare service and current vacancies.