Scotland’s social care regulator, the Care Inspectorate, will be supporting care home residents and staff across Scotland to celebrate Care Home Open Day today.
Almost everyone in Scotland will use a care service at some point in their lives, and ensuring care is of the highest standard has never been more important.
There are more than 1,200 care home services for adults, including older people, registered with the Care Inspectorate.
The vast majority are graded good, very good or excellent for the quality of care and support provided according to their most recent Care Inspectorate inspection.
Paul Edie, chair of the Care Inspectorate, said: “We know that most care homes in Scotland perform well.
“And that’s why we are always keen to acknowledge and share excellent practice across the sector whenever we find it, to help drive standards up even further.
“For example, in 2014/15, fourteen care homes for adults in Scotland were awarded the highest possible grade of excellent across the board. Six of these services were also graded excellent across all quality themes in their previous inspection too.
“So it is clear there some really good examples of excellent care across the country.
“But where things aren’t up to standard, they need to improve, quickly.
“In the past year, 18 care homes in Scotland improved their care standards for at least one quality theme from weak or unsatisfactory to adequate or better.
“As Scotland’s care regulator we will continue to champion good practice at a front-line and senior level, but we remain equally committed to dealing robustly with services that fail to improve.”
Speaking at Loch Leven Care Home in Dundee, Karen Reid, the Care Inspectorate’s chief executive, added: “Care homes play a vital role in communities across Scotland and we are delighted to be at this service today as we all celebrate Care Home Open Day with residents and their families.
“As Scotland’s social care scrutiny and improvement body it is our role to help all care services in Scotland improve, to meet the needs of everyone who accesses care.
“To drive improvement, it is vitally important that people know what to do when they feel the care they or their loved ones receive is below what is acceptable.
“We take all complaints very seriously.
“Where we are not happy with the quality of care in any sector, we will step up efforts to support rapid improvement.
“Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate, good quality care which meets their needs and respects their rights and where there are concerns we don’t hesitate to take action so that services improve.
“Anyone who wants to raise a concern about a care service can call our helpline on 0845 600 9527.”