NHS Highland’s Sutherland Care at Home Service has received a positive inspection report from the Care Inspectorate, being rated ‘Good’ across all four inspection areas following an unannounced inspection carried out between 13 and 16 April 2026.
The inspection team spoke with 31 people using the service and 10 family members, as well as 14 staff and management, visiting professionals, and reviewed service documentation and survey responses.
The report highlights significant improvements sustained from the previous inspection, with inspectors praising the kindness, compassion and dignity shown by staff. Inspectors confirmed that both areas for improvement identified at the April 2025 inspection have been fully met.
Fiona Thomas, NHS Highland’s Sutherland District Manager, said: “We are really proud of this outcome, particularly given the challenges we faced last year. The Care Inspectorate’s report reflects the commitment, compassion and hard work of our staff, who support people with dignity and kindness every day.
“Inspectors praised the service for the trusting relationships staff build with people receiving care. People told inspectors carers go ‘above and beyond’ - that is a real testament to the team.
“The feedback confirms that improvements made over the past 12 months, and we remain committed to continuing to strengthen communication and consistency across such a large and geographically dispersed rural service.”
The inspection evaluated the service across four key areas using the Care Inspectorate’s six-point quality scale, where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent:
- How well do we support people's wellbeing? - 4 (Good)
- How good is our leadership? - 4 (Good)
- How good is our staff team? - 4 (Good)
- How well is our care and support planned? - 4 (Good)
The report noted that people felt respected, listened to and confident in the care they received. Professionals praised the level of care provided, with one stating: “The care delivered by carers on the front line is excellent” and another confirming staff provided care “with empathy, compassion, respect, and dignity”.
The service, based at Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie, is provided by two teams who deliver care and support throughout both urban and rural areas of Sutherland. Staffing pressures in the context of rural service delivery were acknowledged in the report, alongside the service’s continued efforts to address recruitment and retention.
The full inspection report is available at the Care Inspectorate.