Inspectors have said young people in a secure unit near Montrose are under the care of “compassionate” staff in a glowing inspection report for the facility.
The Care Inspectorate gained an insight into the work of Rossie Young People’s Trust during a five-day visit in January.
The charity is based around five miles south of Montrose.
It can accommodate 18 young people, many of whom have experienced severe trauma in their lives.
Rossie is divided into three houses, each with six en suite bedrooms.
Inspectors spoke to 13 young people as well as 15 family members.
They also met with 31 staff and management.
Top rating for key area of Rossie inspection
The inspection outcome saw the unit receive a top rating of excellent for the capacity and resources trust leaders and staff have to champion the needs of young people there.
Rossie’s support to ensure children get the best out of life was rated as ‘very good’.
It hailed the Rossie senior leadership team, under CEO Mary Geaney, as “aspirational”.
“Senior leaders were courageous in their approach to ensure they could meet the needs of the young people,” said the report.
“The confidence in their innovations ensured risk was minimised and relationships developed to produce very good outcomes for those they cared for.”
“There was a considerable investment in staffing to ensure the young people were well supported.
“We found recruitment processes were thorough and attracted a high calibre of staff.”
Rossie has 185 employees.
Other key findings included:
- Young people were enabled to take safe risks
- Staff were highly reflective and this was embedded by a model of practice
- Young people were included and well prepared when moving in and out of the service
It also highlighted strong partnership working with Angus Council.
The report continued: “We found an inclusive and passionate approach to supporting families.”
There have been significant upgrades to the gym and swimming pool.
“We found there were many opportunities to have fun including skiing trips, karate and boxing instructors hosting sessions, as well as individual trips for beauty treatments,” it said.
A bespoke forest school has also been developed within Rossie’s 185 acres, along with a garden, polytunnels and a sensory area.
Rossie was highly-rated in a previous inspection report in 2021.
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