Scottish Enterprise Awards 2019

12 | SME NEWS - Scottish Enterprise Awards 2019 As we get older, it can get more difficult to keep pace with regular domestic tasks. The role of Castle Care (Scotland) Ltd Angus is to find the best way to help to deliver customers with the finest home care possible. We profile this company to find out more about their extraordinary community service. Providing home care, housing support and domestic support to those living in the community, Castle Care has grown to be a vital lifeline for members of the public who need an extra hand. Castle Care allows service users to retain the independence they desire, while ensuring that health and wellbeing are constantly positive. Covering areas such as Forfar, Kirriemuir, Birkhill and Muirhead, this exciting team of 30 dedicated employees have built a culture of supporting each other that is second to none. The reason behind the extraordinary success of Castle Care’s service is down to the fact that it is made up of a highly motivated and well- trained staff team. Not content to reach the bare minimum, these carers go above and beyond to ensure that service users are cared for, looked after and safe. Looking to the community for inspiration, carers do what they can to ensure that instead of inexorably moving towards being Most Inspirational Care at Home Team - Angus Castle Care (Scotland) Ltd Angus a shut-in, service users are always included in the community. Some of these methods include fundraising for recognised charities such as a coffee morning in aid of Marie Curie. What was planned as a simple coffee morning has since expanded into an open day, with a recruitment drive for new staff added on. Several service users have become involved, with their families donating prizes. Classic cars with be on display, with highland dancers and more partaking. It’s a credit to the dedication of the employees and their team spirit. Staff are expected to undertake a variety of roles, depending on the needs of the service user. Every aspect offered is designed to match the changing needs of the user. This allows service users to have as much choice, support and independence as possible. Some will need companionship and socialising, others will require more specific care such as help washing, bathing and dressing. Any practical task such as housework, laundry or meal preparation can be handled by qualified Castle Care teams. Employing staff capable of performing this work who also match the ethos of the company is always challenging, but the recruitment process is calibrated to ensure the employment of caring staff who have the necessary life skills to provide exceptional service. The care industry is set to become a leading employer in Scotland, and Castle Care is at the forefront of that development. Any problems in the team are resolved through conversation and working together. This is the base that the rest of the company is built on. Instead of an atmosphere of pressure, emphasis is placed on building a happy environment that breeds productivity. To this end, Castle Care is being careful not to expand too rapidly, just in case it begins to operate beyond its means. Instead, growth is to remain at a manageable pace to guarantee standards are maintained. When it comes to finding care for a loved one, it can be easy to remove all pretense of independence. Where Castle Care excels is in not only allowing service users as much independence as is desired, but in ensuring that these potentially vulnerable people continue to be engaged with the community at large. Building a team that is not only capable but encouraged to do this sort of work is the reason that Castle Care has proven to be such an inspiration. Company: Castle Care (Scotland) Ltd Angus Contact: June Mackay Web Address: www.castlecarescotland.co.uk/angus-service Telephone: 01307 461165