Clare House: Person-centred and independence to thrive

“People experienced good support with their health and wellbeing in relation to living with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). We were confident that people’s health outcomes around living with PWS had improved since moving into Clare House.”

We’re delighted to share the recent Care Inspectorate Scotland Inspection Report for Clare House – our residential service in Dunblane who support people with PWS to flourish every single day. From promoting healthy choices around food to educating those on how they can manage their PWS, well done to the team at Clare House for everything you do for the people we support, you make every moment matter.

The full report is available to view via the link below, and as Service Manager Lukasz says “Clare House Team have worked extremally hard to improve the quality of life for all the people we support. We are very highly focused on celebrating people’s successes and making them proud of what they have achieved. There is no better satisfaction than seeing a smile and proudness on someone’s face. Our team works in a cohesive, holistic way with other professionals to enable every person we support to live life to their full potential. I am very proud of the team and how much compassion, commitment and passion they show every day.”

Here are some of our highlights for you to enjoy:

Wellbeing

• “The strengths had a significant positive impact on people’s experiences and outcomes.”
• “Staff worked hard to support people to have a healthy relationship with food.”
• “We saw good examples of leaders in the service advocating for people when they experienced barriers accessing health care.”
• “Staff promoted independence when it was safe and appropriate.”

And of the amazing success stories from Clare House, is Keith. Keith moved to Clare House back in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since. Weighing a life-risking 172kg at the age of 40, Keith has been supported to lose a life-changing 74.8kg, and has finally found the support and structure to flourish that he’d been wanting for years. An incredible achievement, you can read all about Keith’s journey here.

Leadership

• “People’s experiences were evaluated through questionnaires, key worker meetings, and regular reviews. These identified areas where people were happy with their support, along with their future goals or areas where they wanted things to change.”

Staff Team

• “Some people had been allocated additional hours and this had enhanced their opportunities. People were going out in the community more, and some had been on holiday with staff support. This had led to improved experiences for people.”
• “Staff who took on a shift lead role were provided with appropriate training and guidance. This helped ensure people were skilled and confident to carry out the role.”
• “Staff training had continued to improve since our last inspection. New staff we spoke with stated that they felt well supported during their induction period and confirmed they had completed all their mandatory training.”

Setting

• “People benefitted from living in a well-maintained home. The service had its own maintenance worker. They ensured that all safety checks, including fire drills, were carried out to required timescales. Records were well kept. They also carried out a programme of general maintenance and improvement within the home.”
• “People were encouraged to assist with cleaning their own rooms. This helped ensure people’s independence and choice was promoted.”
• “People living in the home were generally happy with the environment and enjoyed personalising their rooms and flats.”

Care & Support

• “Those care plans we looked at were person centred and reflected people’s current needs and wishes. More emphasis had been placed on people’s strengths as opposed to things people could not do. This was more respectful and aspirational for people.”
• “Assessments for new people moving into the home were well completed. At the time of our inspection someone had recently moved into Clare House. They had been well supported with a robust transition process. This had reduced any potential anxieties for the person and enhanced their wellbeing during a period of change.”

Well done to everyone at Clare House for all their hard work.