Annual Review 2016 Welcome Message from our Chairman and Chief Executive 2016 was a very special The Princess Louise Scottish Hospital Throughout this Annual Review you will These developments will comprise for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers was read about the high standard of care we additional family housing, single living year for Erskine as it founded in 1916 to treat men injured provide and how much it is appreciated accommodation for veterans of working during World War 1 who had lost or by our residents and recognised by the age, a small number of assisted living marked 100 years of sustained injuries to their limbs. Care Inspectorate, whose inspectors apartments, and an activities centre. Medical and nursing care continued to have assessed the care we provide in Together with our care homes this will caring for veterans. be provided in the mansion house and our homes as good or very good for provide a wide range of services for adjoining buildings until 2000 when the each of the four quality themes. This is veterans in a safe Veterans’ Village residents were moved to bespoke care a marvellous achievement by our staff environment. homes built on the estate, and later to and volunteers who place the veterans Our Chairman for the past five years, new homes in Edinburgh and Glasgow. first and work extremely hard to ensure Andrew Robertson, stepped down in Erskine achieves its mission: to enable The care may have changed over the December after a 40–year association members of the ex–Service community years but the one common denominator with Erskine; first as Company Secretary, to get the best care and support to is the generosity of our supporters. It is then as a Trustee and ultimately achieve maximum quality of life. We interesting to note that in 1916 following Chairman of the Board. Erskine owes would like to take this opportunity to the first public meeting, the donations Andrew a debt of gratitude for his thank our staff and volunteers for their totalled £100,000 which today equates contribution and leadership which dedication and hard work. closely to the £8m our supporters donate has done much to influence Erskine’s each year, so that we can continue to As an employer that values its staff development and reputation as a care for our veterans. We would like to and works hard to support and develop leading provider of care for veterans express our appreciation for the support people to provide the care and support in Scotland. which you have given and continue to to our veterans, we were delighted to We hope you enjoy reading about the give Erskine. be awarded the Investors in People Gold marvellous care we provide, the stories Award. This award, which was assessed We celebrated our centenary at several from some of our veterans, and more against the IIP framework, recognises events throughout the year including a detail about the centenary events. Erskine as an organisation that is civic reception hosted by Renfrewshire committed to continuously developing Council, a service of commemoration its staff and has in place sound people in Glasgow Cathedral, to which we were strategies. Our values are embedded in delighted to welcome HRH The Princess everything we do. Royal, and a series of summer fetes in each of our homes. We were also Looking forward, at the last Board Robin Crawford extremely proud to receive an honorary meeting of our centenary year, the Chairman doctorate from the University of Trustees gave their agreement to develop Glasgow; only the fourth time in the proposals to address areas of unmet history of the university that a degree need in accommodation and to reduce has been conferred on an organisation social isolation experienced by veterans rather than an individual. living on their own in the community. Steve Conway Chief Executive Left: Steve Conway, Right: Robin Crawford with Erskine resident May McLean 2 3 1 Resident: David King Care 1 2 Sporting Senior Games 1 3 Resident: Jimmy Groat In 2016, there was not only a change of Following the success of the Erskine continues to use digital In the Erskine Edinburgh Home we saw Chairman, but also a change of Director Commonwealth Games (2014), we held technology to support the delivery of the opening of the new Sassoon Dining our Centenary Games in October at the care. Using mobile tablet devices we Room. The impact was immediate with of Care with Derek Barron arriving in June. High School of Glasgow campus in have been able to ensure that recording residents now dining ‘in the garden’, in Anniesland, Glasgow. This wonderful of care happens closer to the point of a bright, new conservatory dining area. Our thanks and best wishes to Sue We added fencing in Red Cross and Care staff have all had new uniforms event saw residents from across our four care which allows staff to sit with Feedback from residents suggests the Robinson, the previous Director, upon Yarrow Houses at The Erskine Home introduced. The smart, bright uniforms Homes, along with residents from three residents while recording care and new room is very much enjoyed and her retirement. Derek joined Erskine which promotes choice for our residents, take a block colour approach which aids other care homes join together to reduces time spent in duty rooms on promotes a positive dining experience. following a 32 year career in NHS enabling them to walk freely in and out identification for residents and relatives, compete in the six disciplines of computers. Scotland, latterly in Ayrshire as Lead of their house while remaining in a safe an important aspect when someone basketball, boccia bowls, javelin, penalty The Erskine Home has been trialling Nurse/Associate Nurse Director. environment. Future work will be needs assistance. Bill, a resident at our shoot out, curling and cycling, with the the use of an electronic medicines undertaken to redesign the garden Edinburgh Home, said about the eventual winners The Erskine Home ‘red The theme of development from 2015 management system, with the support areas to further promote the utility of uniforms “I really like the new uniforms, team’ lifting the inaugural John Bowman continued with new ‘open’ fencing being of Boots. Following an initial slow start, the garden. they are bright and very smart, but don’t trophy. The trophy is named in memory installed around the gardens in Ramsay staff have fully embraced the technology, ask me to wear one!” In addition to of inspirational Erskine resident, John House at The Erskine Home, leading to Continuous development has been a which supports accurate and efficient colour identification, each uniform has Bowman, who loved competing. a wonderful opening up of the vista for theme throughout the year – following administration and recording of the designation embroidered on it. This our residents. John, a resident, now sits last year’s redecorating we recognised During 2016 residents in our three medication, which in turn promotes safe allowed us to redesign our name badges in the south dining room for his meals as that wayfinding for residents around ‘west’ Homes enjoyed days out at Castle and timely medication management for and introduce new clearer badges with he likes to look out into the garden and each house could be clearer. We have Semple Outdoor Centre. The combination our residents. the staff names in larger, bolder text, admire the views. He often comments therefore painted the accent walls in of water and dry land activities saw our which are much easier to read. Frank, on the wildlife he can now see which each corridor a different colour and residents ‘buzzing’ with enthusiasm each another Erskine Edinburgh resident, said encourages other residents to look added additional signage, helping time they returned and keen to “I like the new badges as I can clearly see outside. He also talks about the traffic residents to recognise where they are. participate further. Learning from this, the staff names”. levels on the Erskine Bridge, particularly An interesting learning point for us has in 2017 we plan to build a cycle track when having his evening meal. The been that residents now walk further In October, Haig House won a Highly and purchase adapted bikes (including benefits to our residents led us to extend into corridors as they can more clearly Commended award at the Mental Health wheelchair enabled bikes) to give the original programme and replace understand the area around them; Nursing Forum Scotland Conference & residents greater freedom to participate wooden fencing in our dementia houses effectively this has increased the Awards event for their Food for Thought regularly without having to make special in The Erskine Home and the Erskine circulation area for residents. research project. The award recognised travel arrangements. Edinburgh Home. the significant work the Haig House team did, alongside the University of the West of Scotland and NHS Ayrshire & Arran, in supporting residents with advanced dementia in meeting their nutritional needs. Food for Thought involved sensory and environmental approaches that encouraged and supported residents to participate in meal planning and eating/drinking to meet their needs. The learning from the research project was then rolled out across the rest of our Houses and Homes, 2 improving the dining experience for all Erskine residents. 1 Derek Barron, Director of Care 2 2 Staff: Jennifer Callaghan & Evelyn Corbett 3 4 5 “The worst journey in the world” “We can see thousands and thousands of ships” Bill’s life on the convoys was tough; they In 1946 she left the Wrens and worked faced atrocious weather conditions and with the American Embassy before Bill Bannerman endured perishing temperatures.