Highlands Borders Care Home

Highlands Borders provides personal and nursing care to 24 people in an adapted building with a purpose-built extension, with capacity for up to 28 residents. The home has a long-standing, small and loyal staff team who know the people they support well. Staff were following infection prevention and control guidance, and the team worked together to ensure shifts were covered by reallocating duties—for example, covering kitchen and laundry shifts so care staff could focus on meeting people's needs.

Additional senior staff were being trained in managerial tasks and medicine management, and a new administrator/care worker was about to start their induction to ease staff pressure.

Given that the majority of people living with dementia, the home was unable to separate areas into zones but instead allocated staff to support named people. Residents were being supported to isolate in their rooms, with the deputy manager ensuring people had every comfort available and received regular reassurance during this time. The home had not previously used agency staff but had approached agencies to provide long-term cover, with these staff only working at the service.