People 'could not speak highly enough' of Carr Gomm's services in Highlands

A care at home and housing support service provided to adults and children has received a very good grading.

Carr Gomm North, based in Queensgate Arcade, received praise from the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection.

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The charity offers a mixture of traditional care at home and home-based respite, with figures showing that at the end of last year it was supporting up to 188 people across the Highlands.

Inspectors judged it to be very good in terms of leadership and how well it supports people's wellbeing, stating: "People were happy with the service they received.

"Staff were consistently kind and compassionate."

Inspectors also pointed out recruitment was difficult in some areas, adding: "The service wanted to provide more services, but were limited due to commissioning arrangements and staffing."

However, they stressed they found significant strengths in the aspects of the care provided, saying there were "warm, encouraging, positive relationships between staff and people making use of the service".

"People were confident in their support because they trusted the staff coming in to see them," inspectors said. "Staff knew how to communicate best with them. Family members alike relied on the service and staff were dependable. People looked forward to their support because of those relationships.

"Where behaviour may be seen as challenging to others, staff provided sensitive support to reduce the impact. People were safe because staff understood their preferences and routines. Staff noticed when there were concerns about someone and took necessary actions to escalate those concerns. The service worked with other agencies to develop ways of working that supported independence, balanced against risks and rights.

"The service recognised the importance of supporting the many unpaid carers who accessed the service. They understood how important it was to enable this respite time and made sure they took care of their loved ones. Family members could not speak highly enough of the staff and the service.

"In the care at home services, people and their families felt the same. They trusted, relied, and depended on the staff and service. They also could not speak highly enough of the service."

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