A Renfrewshire Council housing support service has been praised by the Care Inspectorate.

The Through Care Team received an unannounced inspection from one inspector earlier this year.

This was carried out on May 13, May 14, May 16, May 20 and May 21 and the findings of the visit were published in a report yesterday (Tuesday, July 30).

The service provides housing support to vulnerable young people in the area with accommodation and support provided in two locations.

Charleston Square is a purpose-built supported housing development in Paisley that has 10 self-contained flats, support spaces and a large garden that offers space for relaxation.

The housing support service operated by the outreach team at St. James Street, has access to ten satellite flats which can be offered to young people who are ready to live independently.

In evaluating quality, the Care Inspectorate used a six point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent.

The two categories assessed, ‘how well do we support people’s wellbeing?’ and ‘how good is our leadership?’ were both rated a 5 meaning very good.

Several key messages were included in the report.

The Care Inspectorate said that they saw young people experiencing warm and compassionate care and support.

The report stated that service understood diversity and encouraged young people to express themselves and voice their opinions.

It also said that there had been times when the young people had not felt safe and the Care Inspectorate had reviewed these incidents.

Whilst the response from managers was not as quick as some staff and young people desired, the inspection body said they understood the need to counterbalance all of the young people's needs including the needs of the most vulnerable.

According to the findings, there were very positive outcomes for some young people, particularly in relation to their ability to manage risk.

It was said that some young people had turned their lives around and were excellent advocates for themselves and others.

Finally, the report stated that the service had a progressive approach to risk management, and this was something the Care Inspectorate were pleased to observe.

To prepare for the inspection the inspection body reviewed information about the service.

This included previous inspection findings, registration information, information submitted by the service and intelligence gathered since the last inspection.

In making their evaluations they spoke with young people using the service, spoke with staff and management, observed practice and daily life, reviewed documents and spoke with visiting professionals.

The report stated that no complaints have been upheld since the last inspection.