A CARE provider has pledged to act on improvements needed at a new £7.6m supported housing facility located at the former Kelso High School.

It follows a first inspection from the Care Inspectorate.

The Poynder Apartments opened in August last year and accommodation is in the form of 34 one- and two-bedroom self-contained flats over two floors, with an integrated meals service serving two meals a day in a communal dining area.

The housing project was made possible with funding assistance from Scottish Borders Council and the Scottish Government.

A first visit by the Care Inspectorate was carried out on September 12 and September 16 by two inspectors.

Inspectors were told by residents that they were treated with dignity and respect and they found that people were receiving appropriate help and support in a timely manner.

However, there had been “challenges with the meal provision” and this had led some to be “dissatisfied with the service”.

Inspectors also found that employment of care staff needed to be improved, particularly over the weekends and that personal planning also needed improvement to reflect people’s individual needs.

The service was rated ‘adequate’ in three areas – its leadership, staff team and the care and support planned and ‘good’ for supporting people’s well-being.

Eildon Housing Association Limited, which operates the service, said it would implement the changes needed.

The Inspectorate has outlined areas of improvement to be addressed.

The report states: “The service had experienced recruitment and retention challenges. There has been a heavy reliance on agency staff. The use of agency staff had now reduced considerably, and new staff had been recently recruited.

“The staffing challenges had resulted in a relatively new team developing. We have advised steps are taken to boost morale and to integrate the new staff team together.

“This is to include having regular team meetings and promoting staff involvement in decision making. This means everyone will be working as a team to bring about the best outcomes for supported people.”

The inspectors found that personal plans sampled included good background information about the person but some also contained “conflicting, confusing and insufficient information”.

A spokesperson for Eildon Housing said: “We welcome the feedback the Care Inspectorate has offered following their recent inspection of Poynder Apartments.

“The service has been operating for just over a year and we recognise there are some areas for improvement as the new team settle in and develop further.

“We are confident these improvements will address the areas identified by the Care Inspectorate, ensuring we provide high quality care and support to our tenants.

“We are also pleased to receive positive feedback about our staff team in relation to how we support tenants with changing needs and our good relationships with health and social care colleagues.

“The feedback from tenants and their families during the inspection was also valued, particularly their supportive comments about the quality of their care and support.”