A specialist residential care home in Scotland is celebrating after a glowing report from inspectors who said residents there received ‘very good care’.

The service, Dunvegan, in Stenhousemuir, supports 33 adults with a range of learning disabilities, some of whom also have physical disabilities and mental health needs. It is run by the Priory, specialists in mental healthcare and social care.

Inspectors from Care Inspectorate Scotland, the care watchdog, said residents’ well-being was ‘very good’, because they were helped by staff to get the most out of their lives. The health and wellbeing benefits from the support residents received was ‘very good’, they said. The leadership of the service was also singled out for praise, including by the staff themselves.

The inspection report, which followed an unannounced inspection of the service, said there were ‘significant strengths’ in the care provided, which resulted in positive outcomes for those living there. Staff were described as ‘respectful, kind and caring’, and open to suggestions from newer team members.

Residents were able to plan their holidays, and were consulted and involved in events and activities, with staff responding to residents in a ‘positive and enabling’ way. ‘We saw how the service responded proactively to ideas from people such as gardening ideas and an impromptu barbecue,’ inspectors said.

‘People who lived in the home were supported to become more confident, assertive and included.’ Staff knowledge about how to respond to some residents’ non-verbal communication was ‘very good’, which meant people received ‘respectful and dignified care and support’. Domestic staff cleaned the service to a high standard, and bedrooms were well-decorated, personalised, clean and well-maintained.

Service manager Donna McKinlay (pictured front row, centre) said: ‘I am so proud of what the staff have achieved here, and it is great to see them recognised for the efforts they make on behalf of those we have the privilege to support.’

Each resident has their own support plan which details exactly how they wish to be supported. They also have a named key worker who spends time with them – and on a month-by-month basis, resident and key worker will review the support plan to ensure that it continues to meet requirements.

Ms McKinlay said: ‘We recognise that every person is an individual with their own individual strengths. We support people with all aspects of their lives including education, employment and social activities while actively encouraging independence.’

Priory CEO Rebekah Cresswell said: ‘It is wonderful to see residents thriving, and I congratulate colleagues on this report which highlights the care, commitment and dedication they show to those they support, epitomising our intent as a mental health and social care provider to help people to live their life.’

Notes to editors

For inquiries, please contact communications@priorygroup.com

About Priory and MEDIAN

Priory is the UK’s leading independent provider of mental health services. We treat more than 70 conditions including depression, anxiety, addictions, and eating disorders, as well as children’s mental health, across our nationwide network of sites. We also support adults with complex autism, learning disabilities, Prader-Willi Syndrome and brain injuries, as well as older people, as a leading provider of specialist residential care and supported living – helping as many people as possible to live their lives.

Priory is part of MEDIAN, one of Europe’s leading providers of high-quality mental health and medical rehabilitative services. Overall, there are 430 facilities in the MEDIAN Group, comprising 307 Priory facilities with 5,364 beds in the United Kingdom caring for 35,000 people, and 123 facilities and 20,000 beds and therapy places in Germany, caring for around 260,0000 patients, with approximately 35,000 employees overall. 

MEDIAN manages patients who have experienced symptoms of COVID-19, and/or Long COVID, and shares information for medical professionals at: www.long-covid.de