Perth & Kinross Council’s Sheltered Housing Service has been given a resounding thumbs-up by the Care Inspectorate following an inspection earlier this year.

The inspectors’ report said that residents were “put at the heart” of the Older People’s Housing Support Service. Staff were “committed and skilled” and offered an “excellent package of support”.

The inspection, carried out March 2016, looked at three areas of the service:

The report said that sheltered housing residents were kept fully involved in helping to shape decisions about how the service is delivered, through things like tenant meetings and coffee mornings, feedback from suggestion boxes, tenant participation events, and newsletters devised by tenants.

It said that all tenants are involved in regularly reviewing their own personal care plan to record progress towards their agreed outcomes, which aims to ensure that every resident continues to enjoy a high quality of life. Tenants also regularly have the opportunity to discuss their changing support and housing requirements.

Tenants were spoken to by inspectors and some of their comments were:

Tenants also told inspectors they felt empowered and in control of the services they receive, that they felt safe and that they know staff will take care of any issues they have. The report said this will contribute to people’s mental wellbeing and confidence.

Inspectors found that staff receive very good training which allows them to carry out their role effectively. Tenant surveys found that residents are highly satisfied with the performance and professionalism of the staff. Staff are very motivated, supportive of each other and committed to what they do, and this was confirmed by residents

The service is also very well managed, the report added, with regular team meetings and staff who are very comfortable about putting forward their ideas and views. This creates an open and trusting culture and encourages staff to develop in various skills such as being assertive and creative.

Convener of Housing and Health, Council Dave Doogan, welcomed the report and said: “I’m delighted that our efforts to provide a high quality sheltered housing service have been recognised by the Care Inspectorate. Our older tenants deserve the best service we can provide, and our staff are dedicated to giving them all the extra help and support they need in later life to maintain their independence and live happily in our local communities.

“This excellent report is due entirely to the hard work of staff, and I would like to send my thanks and warmest congratulations to them for all their efforts.”