The Len Ironside Centre has received a glowing report from Scotland’s care watchdogs following their latest inspection.
The Len Ironside Centre has received a glowing report from Scotland’s care watchdogs following their latest inspection.
The Care Inspectorate rated the day centre “very good” for the quality of care and support it provides and for its quality of staffing – both receiving Grade 5 on the inspection body’s six-point scale.
The purpose-built centre opened in Mastrick in 2017, replacing the old Rosehill Day Centre, to provide support for more than 50 adults with learning disabilities.
The unannounced inspection took place in October this year.
The report says: “We found the standards of care and support at Len Ironside to be of a very good standard. It was a lovely place to visit, with photos and displays of achievements on the wall, and it had a very happy atmosphere.
“This warm atmosphere was because people had good working relationships and respect for one another. We liked that there were genuine relationships between the staff and the people using the service, as shown by the extra efforts in relation to fund-raising, buying birthday presents, altering routines to suit people better and spending time with one another.”
The report adds: “There were many and varied activities and each person and support worker had a timetable and knew what they should be doing. There was a lot of consultation with the people who were doing the activities to make sure that their care and support met their needs and was right for them.
“We saw a lot of evidence of families and friends being involved in the centre and in special events. There was a lot of involvement with the local community, with people using the library for story-telling, the pub for lunch and the swimming pool for exercise. We also saw evidence of the community coming in to the centre, for example the school and the minister.
“We looked at some support plans and found them to be written in a positive manner and they were factual and clear. We saw that there were regular reviews and people were involved in reviewing their own plans. The risk assessments were realistic and described how restrictions on actions would help people to get the most out of life because they were enabling and used people's potential.
“At the time of inspection, the service was fully staffed which helped it to run well and meant people knew who provided their care on a day-to-day basis.
“All of the staff we spoke to said that they enjoyed working at the centre. They told us that everyone worked well as a team and the managers were always supportive. We also spoke with the management team and found them to be enthusiastic and appreciative of their staff team and very involved with the work of the centre.
“Overall it was clear that the centre was a place where all people were respected and valued.”
The full report is available here.
