Falkirk area care provider gets good grades in a bad year

Ark, which operates a care home in Roxburgh Street, Grangemouth, has achieved its highest ever average grades from Scotland’s care regulator the Care Inspectorate.

Committed to help and support people so they can live good lives at home and in their community, Ark stated its latest inspection scores from the inspectorate are now at record high levels.

Inspections carried out on Ark’s 15 registered services – which operate in 12 local authority areas – show an average grade of 4.81 cross all six Care Inspectorate

inspection themes.

That is up from 4.76 from the previous year – and, significantly, up from the figure of 4.05 achieved back in 2017.

The impressive results were revealed at Ark’s AGM, where the organisation’s workforce were singled out for special praise for their unstinting devotion to their job during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mark Hall, Ark’s director of operations, said: “Since 2016/17, we have put in place a rigorous improvement process to ensure we are delivering the best service we can for our customers.

“Our Care Inspectorate grades have improved each year and now sit at their highest ever average score. Our aim now is to maintain this upwards improvement pattern and to achieve an average grade of five – which would be a hugely impressive landmark for Ark.”

Ark’s 15 registered services are made up of two care homes, plus care at home and housing support services and the 4.81 average grade accounts for inspections carried out over the Care Inspectorate inspection year up to March 2020.

Ark, which was formed 43 years ago, now employs more than 900 people.

Mark said: “These results should make very pleasant reading and provide assurances to our customers, their loved ones and family members, that they are getting some of the best care services to be found in Scotland – as well as providing a solid endorsement to our staff of the quality of work they are providing.

“Clearly, this success doesn’t come easy. It requires a combination of strong, value based leadership, a sound understanding of outcome focused support and support workers who are fully focused on providing enhanced levels of care that are tailored specifically for each individual.”