Care Home Improvement Programme
The Care Inspectorate, (supported by the Scottish Social Services Council), supports adult care homes in Scotland by delivering a national quality improvement programme. The programme runs on a cohort basis. In April 2024, the first cohort focused on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Forth Valley health board areas. The flash report from Cohort 1 can be viewed here. From October 2024, Cohort 2 will support adult care homes in the NHS Tayside and NHS Fife areas.
Participants are supported (by an improvement adviser), to undertake an improvement project in an area identified in their most recent inspection report.
Nominated staff members do not have to be management. We are looking for care home staff who can affect change and have time to plan and test changes to improve outcomes for people who experience care.
Through a mixture of four in-person events and follow-up online sessions. Each participating care home will nominate two staff members to attend the events and online sessions.
A series of small group follow-up sessions are provided between each in-person event. Improvement advisers also schedule support sessions with individual services. These are held in person or via Microsoft Teams, between each in-person event to provide dedicated support to implement learning.
Application process
All services with an evaluation of adequate at their last inspection are considered to participate in the programme. These services will be invited to join the programme and then asked to complete a readiness assessment to participate. If successful, services will be allocated to an improvement adviser who will be their point of contact throughout the programme and will focus on supporting improvements identified in their most recent inspection reports.
The programme aims to enable individuals to:
- use Care Inspectorate self-evaluation tools, guidance, and participation approaches to advance equality
- use quality improvement methodology and tools to improve outcomes for people
- develop approaches in leadership
- build peer support with other care homes in their geographical area.
- follow-up key inspection outcomes
- develop skills to embed and sustain changes
- celebrate success
The programme’s intended learning outcomes for participants are:
- increased confidence to using self-evaluation and participation in the workplace to advance equality
- increased confidence to use quality improvement in the workplace
- increased confidence in applying leadership and management tools in the workplace
Participants will be empowered to apply their learning to make a difference for the people they care for.
You can watch this short video to hear what a colleague from Balhousie Care Group has to say about their experience of collaborating with our improvement support section.
If you have any questions, please contact improvementsupport@careinspectorate.gov.scot
Meet the team
Name: Nicola McCardle
Role: Senior Improvement Adviser (physiotherapist) (Co-Lead)
Focus areas: Safer mobility, frailty, rehabilitation, reablement
What makes a good life for you: A good life for me is spending time surrounded by good people. When not working I am most likely to be found on an adventure with my Harry Potter-obsessed daughter, singing in a choir or visiting my sister in Jersey.
Name: Aidan McCrory
Role: Quality Improvement Manager (Co-Lead)
Focus areas: I lead the Quality improvement support team which has a focus on ELC improvement, Technology Enabled Care, quality improvement capacity building, self-evaluation, service design, and appropriate adults’ work.
What makes a good life for you: Staying fit, fishing, travelling and spending time with my family over a nice meal and good bottle of wine.
Name: Jenni Ross
Role: Improvement Support Officer
Focus areas: Supporting improvement projects, coordinating webinars and workshops
What makes a good life for you: Spending time with my friends and family, going for a run, studying history and walking my dog.
Name: Louise Kelly
Role: Senior Improvement Adviser
Focus areas: Supporting adults and older people to stay active, connected and doing the things that matter to them
What makes a good life for you: It’s the little things that are the big things for me, such as having a laugh with friends, meals with the family, reading a good book and getting outdoors each day. Then added to that is travelling to new places, meeting new people, and trying new foods and wine.
Name: Lynsey Kemlo
Role: Senior Improvement Adviser (Allied Health Professional)
Focus areas: Healthy Ageing, Physical Activity, Postural Care, Moving and Assisting, Palliative Care and End of Life Care
What makes a good life for you: I love learning and seeing new places. My family, including my dog, make sure I am kept busy and active, which all makes for a fun and happy life. Away from work I enjoy going to the gym, cycling and spending time with friends and family.
Name: Linda Taylor
Role: Improvement Adviser
Focus areas: Supporting services with the implementation of self-evaluation and quality improvement. Developing resources such as videos to support training for staff who work in social care.
What makes a good life for you: is being with the people I love, going long walks with my dog, and being out in the fresh air. I love watching the Scotland Team play rugby at Murrayfield and other stadiums, such as Paris. I enjoy time with good friends good food and lots of laughter.
Name: Lisa Maynard
Role: Improvement Adviser
Focus areas: Quality Improvement teaching and capacity building, Film in Care and other community arts-involved improvement projects, CEIM Leaders Module.
What makes a good life for you: Building wellbeing routines into my everyday life - meditating and journalling every day.
Name: Amanda Tough
Role: Participation and Equalities Team Manager
Focus areas: I line manage the Participation and Equalities Team and lead on how participation and equalities are at the centre of the Care Inspectorate’s work. I am involved in various projects and groups including Children’s Rights Group, Safe Staffing, ensuring the voices of people are heard in our scrutiny, regulatory and quality improvement. I also support the Participation Advisor in developing the Inspection Volunteer scheme.
What makes a good life for you: I value time with my family and two West Highland terriers, I also volunteer weekly at my local Brownies and Guides unit, as a leader. I love attending live music events and being outdoors.
Name: Jacqui Duncan
Role: Equalities Professional Adviser
Focus areas: Reporting on equalities, leading on our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, advising on equalities to help further embed this into all our work, reporting on children's rights and supporting our employee networks.
What makes a good life for you: I enjoy connecting with people and hearing different perspectives. I take great delight in learning something new. Quality time with the family is what I appreciate most.
Name: Lorna Dalton
Role: Learning and Development Adviser with the Scottish Social Services Council
Focus areas: I support quality improvement learning and leadership development.
What makes a good life for you: It’s really important to me that I spend time outdoors, walking the hills and always having a book by my side.
Name: Paula Quinn
Role: Learning and Development Adviser with the Scottish Social Services Council
Focus areas: I support quality improvement learning and leadership development.
What makes a good life for you: Laughter and spending time with the people I love, especially over good food. I volunteer with a small local charity and love to see the difference we can make when barriers are reduced so others can live their good life too.
