High fives all round as Urray House care home in Muir of Ord gets Care Inspectorate verdict after unannounced visit
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
STAFF at a Ross-shire care home are celebrating after the facility was rated "very good" by the Care Inspectorate.
The independent regulator assessed Urray House in Muir of Ord against five criteria and awarded the home a grade five (very good) rating in each of them.
Urray House, part of the award-winning Parklands group, was assessed during unannounced inspections in August and September.
The inspector spoke to residents, their relatives and staff during the visit and found “significant strengths in aspects of the care provided.”
The Care Inspectorate's report describes a “warm atmosphere” within the home and a strong, motivated staff team which works well together.
SEE ALSO: What happened when drag stars Lossie Mouth and Venus Guy Trap dropped in to Urray House
Death of Annie Hannan (100) sparks outpouring of tributes
Urray House residents have a (snow) ball outside - pictures
Inspector's verdict on Innis Mhor in Tain
Urray House received a grade 5 rating for the way it supports people’s wellbeing, the quality of its leadership, its staff team and its setting. The home was also rated very good for the way it plans care and support for residents.
The report found that residents “experienced care and support with compassion because there were warm and encouraging relationships between staff and people living there.”
It added: “People experienced support which promoted their independence, dignity, privacy and choice.”
It said “there was a sense of community in the care home” with a varied choice of activities on offer – from trips into the local community to Pride events. It was also noted that residents were able to contribute to decision making within the home and that family members also felt involved in their loved one’s care and support.
The home also enjoyed strong links with the community, with local groups welcomed into the care home with “warmth”, the report said.
The report also praised the staff team. “The right number of staff with the right skills were working at all times. Staff had time to provide care, support with compassion and engage in meaningful conversations and interactions with people. Staff were motivated and were offering good care, because they were working well together,” it said.
The report found that care was taken to ensure that residents’ needs were continually evaluated to ensure that they were being provided with the right level of care, and staff and visiting professionals were encouraged to air their views to the management team. It concluded that the service “was being managed and led well.”
Manager Joe Greiner relocated to the Highlands in January to take up his post at Urray House, having managed a care home in Norfolk for 18 years.
He said: “I am delighted that the team at Urray House has been recognised for their hard work, compassion and professionalism. I’m proud to lead a team of dedicated care professionals. Their passion, commitment and sense of adventure is inspiring and that is very much reflected in the Care Inspectorate’s latest report.
“We have worked hard to create a warm, welcoming and inclusive care setting where residents are at the heart of the decision-making process and family members and visitors from the local community feel at home here. We want Urray House to be an integral part of the local community and I think that we are making great progress.”
Elaine Taylor, operations director at Parklands Care Homes, added: “This report is testament to the Urray House team’s absolute focus on continual improvement and delivering the highest standards of person-centred care. They should be really proud of what they have achieved, we certainly are!”
The report, which can be found online on the Care Inspectorate's site, notes that five areas for improvement previously identified have all been satisfied.
In making its evaluations of the service, the Care Inspectorate says it:
• spoke with 10 people using the service and spoke with, or surveyed 21 family members;
• spoke with, or surveyed a total of 32 staff and management;
• observed practice and daily life;
• reviewed documents; and
• spoke with visiting professionals
Care Inspectorate reports use a six-point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent.
The unannounced inspection took place between August 29 and September 18, between a range of hours. The inspection was carried out by one inspector from the Care Inspectorate.
