Covid outbreak care home praised for improvements

A care home at the centre of the worst Covid outbreak in the Scottish Borders has been praised for its improvement by inspectors.

During May and June 2020, eight residents at the Saltgreens site in Eyemouth died after contracting the virus.

Members of staff were later disciplined over lockdown breaches and inspectors identified a catalogue of further problems at the local authority-run facility.

However, in their latest report the Care Inspectorate found residents received "warm and attentive" care, staff morale was positive and all previous requirements had been met.

The home, in the town's Chapel Street, can house up to 35 residents.

Following the deaths during the Covid outbreak, the home was further criticised by inspectors in 2022 and an urgent action plan put in place.

By the following year the situation had improved and the site was graded "good" across all key indicators.

The Care Inspectorate carried out its latest visit to the council-run site in early December and it found that four previous areas for improvement had been met.

"During the inspection, it was evident people experiencing care benefited from kind and compassionate interactions with staff," its report added.

"Staff demonstrated an understanding of people's needs and preferences and offered support in a manner which was both warm and attentive.

"Interactions were unhurried, allowing people to receive care at a pace which suited them, promoting comfort and reassurance."

It said those practices reflected a "strong commitment to person-centred care and contributed positively to the overall well-being and experience of those living at Saltgreens Care Home".

Scottish Borders Council said it was delighted with the "highly positive assessment" of the care home.

"The grades awarded reflect the hard work and commitment of everyone at Saltgreens and demonstrate a service performing strongly and continuing to progress," said a spokesperson.

"We are pleased to see this success formally recognised and remain committed to supporting the management team as they build on these foundations and sustain the quality of care delivered at the home."