THIS week in the Advertiser's mental health campaign, we have taken the opportunity to highlight and area of good practice right here in Clackmannanshire.

Gaberston House, based on Whins Road, Alloa, was recently hailed by the Care Inspectorate for its inclusive approach to helping adults with mental health concerns.

The service, run by CrossReach, the Church of Scotland’s Social Care Council, Gaberston provides both residential accommodation and community based flats in which support is provided to people in their own homes.

CrossReach’s mental health services are committed to recovery and their approach aims to promote the involvement of the people getting support and aims to help them become active and valued members of their communities.

The group says that, as recovery means different things to different people, no two individual's journeys of recovery will be the same.

Tam, who lives at the Whins Road site, says the support from the service has enabled him to move from being isolated and lonely to being a big part of the life of Gaberston.

He said: "At residents’ meetings we decide what trips, events and holidays we want support with. Recently I have enjoyed a holiday to Seton Sands with other residents and staff support.

"In the past I visited Troon and Blackpool and I’ve had trips to the Safari Park with other residents, Burntisland and Portobello.

"I have enjoyed quiz nights, DVD nights, birthdays and karaoke nights within Gaberston. I’ve lived here for 24 years and I consider Gaberston as my home. I hope I can continue living here in the future years to come."

In March, the Care Inspectorate, whose role is to protect vulnerable people from poor service and ensure that care providers meet the standards expected, arrived to undertake an unannounced inspection. After speaking to the people who receive support at Gaberston, they graded it as “very good”, across all areas.

In the report it was noted that: "The service continued to show a commitment and enthusiasm toward improvement.

"The quality of the staff team was a major strength within the service."
Inspectors added: "This very good service that aims to involve service users and staff in personal planning and service development.

"We could see that the service had been able to focus on development and improvement since the last inspection.

"Overall, very good evidence was demonstrated in support of the quality themes inspected. People who use the service express a high level of satisfaction with the support they receive."

The Care Inspectorate also found there were “Personalisation Ambassadors” across the service and spoke with one during the inspection who was very enthusiastic about this role.

This person’s task is to ensure that colleagues and others are aware of the latest research and best practice in social care.

Calum Murray, director of adult care with CrossReach, said: "We are enthusiastic about personalisation in social care because it means designing the service we offer around what each person supported by Gaberston wants out of life.

"This makes support more effective, and life more meaningful, for the people we work with. It also inspires staff to be creative as they walk alongside people recovering from mental ill-health.

"So, no longer is it the case that people with mental health issues have to take what is offered to them; increasingly, places such as Gaberston House are taking their recovery journey seriously and striving to achieve the best outcomes for them.

"If Tam’s example is anything to go by, they are also having fun doing so."