Kelso-based learning disability service is “Streets Ahead”, inspectors say

Streets Ahead (East) began life more than 30 years ago when people with learning disabilities were being discharged from long term care.A group of families got together to help people live independent lives in the community.

​Today Streets Ahead (East) provides a service to people with a learning disability, mental health conditions, acquired brain injuries and dementia living in their own homes and in the community.

Support is tailored to each individual’s needs and can be for a few hours a week to 24 hours a day.

The service operates from offices in Kelso and Galashiels with two teams, one providing support in the Duns area and the second in Selkirk, Galashiels, Kelso, Jedburgh and Peebles.

At the time of a visit by the Care Inspectorate last month it was supporting 29 people.

The inspectors visited supported people in the majority of the locations and the Kelso office.

What they found was that people experienced “kindness, compassion and empathy” in how they were supported.

Support plans held very good information and guidance for staff to follow and managers promoted a learning and “continuous improvement ethos”.

The service was rated ‘very good’ for both supporting people’s well-being and leadership.

The report states: “Relatives who gave feedback were happy with the support to their loved one.

“One relative told us ‘the care my relative has received form the staff at Streets Ahead has been amazing… staff have gone above and beyond to ensure their welfare needs are met… my relative couldn’t be in a better place'”.

Streets Ahead (West), which operates from the Lyle and Scott building on Liddersdale Road in Hawick, also received a positive report from the Care Inspectorate after a visit earlier this year.