TWO pet-friendly supported living complexes in the Borders have passed inspections with flying colours.

Eildon Care and Support West provide combined care at home and housing support services at two developments.

They oversee 37 two-bedroom self-contained flats at Dovecot Court in Peebles and 35 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom self-contained flats at Wilkie Gardens in Galashiels.

A team of on-site staff at both developments supports tenants to maximise their independence through the provision of personalised care and support. This can range from a number of visits each day to emergency on-call only.

A representative of the Care Inspectorate paid a short-notice visit to Dovecot Court on August 29 and to Wilkie Gardens the following day.

The key findings were that people felt they were being listened to, that management had a good oversight of each development, that staff were kind and respectful and that there was an active programme of events organised which at times involved the local community.

In evaluating the quality of care the Care Inspectorate uses a six-point scale of which one is ‘unsatisfactory’ and six is ‘excellent’. The service was rated a scale five ‘very good’ in four categories – supporting people’s well-being, leadership, the staff team, and the care and support planned.

The report says: “People told us the staff team were very kind and respectful and were always there when needed.

“One person described staff as ‘very efficient  and compassionate’. Some people told us they felt listened to and felt able to talk to staff and management about issues or worries they had. ‘They take the time to listen to what you’re saying’, ‘you can talk to them, they don’t make you feel embarrassed’.

“Some people were delighted to be able to have their long-loved pets move in with them which had made the transition to extra care housing much easier.”

The report highlights the formation of a Friends of Dovecot committee, with regular meetings held throughout the year and events staged and also the establishment of a dementia café at Wilkie Gardens.