TOP MARKS
The level of care and support offered to people living in sheltered housing in Rutherglen and Cambuslang has been graded as very good in a recently published report.
Dozens of sheltered housing complexes in the area were examined by the Care Inspectorate during an unannounced two-day visit in October 2015.
Inspectors found the quality of care and support, staffing and management to be very good in Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Blantyre.
The recently published report states sheltered housing officers have a very good understanding of their tenant’s needs and circumstances and that management has a clear commitment to residents and continual improvement.
Dozens of surveys were sent to residents as part of the inspection and 91 per cent of respondents said they were ‘happy’ with the level of care and support they receive.
The report states: “The sheltered housing team continue to deliver a very good service which has improved the outcomes of the tenants living there and in the wider community.
“The majority of service users we heard from expressed high levels of satisfaction.
“The recommendations we have made in this report are about further improving an already very good service.”
Areas for improvement include better joined up working and communication between social work, health professionals and sheltered housing officers, especially as the integration of health and social care continues.
The inspection of sheltered housing locally coincided with a wider review in South Lanarkshire’s four regions. This saw 25 quality statements evaluated, with 21 marked as very good and four as excellent.
Inspectors met with staff and tenants, reviewed policies, procedures, working practices and record keeping arrangements taking into account progress made since the last inspection in 2013.
Councillor Monica Lennon, depute convenor of the housing and technical resources committee, said: “It’s very reassuring to get confirmation that the housing support services we provide are meeting tenants’ needs and that the work our sheltered housing teams do is highly regarded.
“I know managers and staff have continued to work hard over the past year to make improvements to the service and that this will remain a priority in the year ahead.”
South Lanarkshire Council provides 1,218 sheltered tenancies across the authority, with tenants supported by 55 sheltered housing officers.