Job Opportunity: Independent Sector Lead – North Lanarkshire

INDEPENDENT SECTOR LEAD – North Lanarkshire

PARTNERS FOR INTEGRATION 

SCOTTISH CARE  

Health and Social Care Integration  

£ 51,051 per annum (pro rata)

4 days per week (28 hours)

Fixed term contract funded till 31st March 2027 subject to further funding

Do you have an interest in improving the quality of care, can you COLLABORATE, INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE, and would you like to join a successful, committed and highly motivated team? This could be the opportunity you have been waiting for.

We are seeking to engage an Independent Sector Lead to support the Integration of Health and Social Care in North Lanarkshire.  Hosted by Scottish Care and working closely with care providers and partners, the post involves ensuring sector involvement in the delivery of the integrating of health and social care in Scotland’s HSCPs.

The post holder must be highly motivated, be able to use initiative, possess excellent communication and networking skills, demonstrate success and experience working at strategic level with policy makers, providers, regulators, people supported by services and carers. Qualifications and experience at a senior management level would be a significant advantage.

The post holder will be expected to create and support significant collaborations across the independent care sector while contributing to the development of new care pathways which will result in the delivery of improved outcomes for people who access care and support. The post holder will ensure the Independent Sector’s contribution is fundamental to integrated services and transformational change and be able to evidence their impact. The role requires considerable and skilful collaboration with our key partners in the NHS, Local Authority, Carers, third sector organisations and other forums.

North Lanarkshire is a progressive partnership and invests heavily in this post and the Independent Sector.

The successful candidate will be required to spend a significant amount of time in the North Lanarkshire area. 

The post is home based with travel, where necessary, and is hosted by Scottish Care.  Flexible working is available.

Please see below for the application pack. To discuss this post please contact Janice Cameron by email [email protected]

Closing date 12noon on Friday 8th August 2025. Interviews will be held in person – 19th August 2025.


Recruitment Pack

Information for Applicants

Application Form

Equality Monitoring Form

Job Opportunity: Independent Sector Lead – Inverclyde

INDEPENDENT SECTOR LEAD – INVERCLYDE

PARTNERS FOR INTEGRATION 

 SCOTTISH CARE 

 Health and Social Care Integration  

 £ 51,051 per annum (pro rata)

2.5 days per week (17.5 hours)

 Fixed term contract funded till 30th September 2026 subject to further funding

 Do you have an interest in improving the quality of care, can you COLLABORATE, INNOVATE AND COMMUNICATE, and would you like to join a successful, committed and highly motivated team? This could be the opportunity you have been waiting for.

We are seeking to engage an Independent Sector Lead to support the Integration of Health and Social Care in Inverclyde.  Hosted by Scottish Care and working closely with care providers and partners, the post involves ensuring sector involvement in the delivery of the integrating of health and social care in Scotland’s HSCPs.

The post holder must be highly motivated, be able to use initiative, possess excellent communication and networking skills, demonstrate success and experience working at strategic level with policy makers, providers, regulators, people supported by services and carers. Qualifications and experience at a senior management level would be a significant advantage.

The post holder will be expected to create and support significant collaborations across the independent care sector while contributing to the development of new care pathways which will result in the delivery of improved outcomes for people who access care and support. The post holder will ensure the Independent Sector’s contribution is fundamental to integrated services and transformational change and be able to evidence their impact. The role requires considerable and skilful collaboration with our key partners in the NHS, Local Authority, Carers, third sector organisations and other forums.

Inverclyde is a progressive partnership and invests heavily in this post and the Independent Sector.

The successful candidate will be required to spend a significant amount of time in the Inverclyde area. 

The post is home based with travel, where necessary, and is hosted by Scottish Care.  Flexible working is available.

Please see below for the application pack. To discuss this post please contact Janice Cameron by email [email protected]

Closing date 12noon on Friday 8th August 2025. Interviews will be held in person – 2nd September 2025.


Recruitment Pack

Information for Applicants

Application Form

Equality Monitoring Form

Flower Arranging at Abercorn House Care Home

A big thank you to Asda Hamilton for helping make a recent flower arranging day at Abercorn House Care Home truly special. Residents, families, and staff filled the home with colour, conversation, and creativity, all thanks to the kind support of local store manager Gillian, who personally delivered the flowers and joined in the fun.


Bringing Joy in Bloom: A Special Day of Flower Arranging at Abercorn House Care Home

On Tuesday 23rd of July 2025, Abercorn House Care Home was filled with colour, fragrance, and joyful conversation as we hosted a special flower arranging day for our residents and their loved ones, a heartwarming event made possible through the generous support of Asda Hamilton Branch.

Thanks to the kindness and community spirit of Gillian, the store manager at Asda Hamilton, the day became more than just an activity. Gillian personally delivered a beautiful selection of fresh flowers and supplies to the home, and took the time to chat with our residents, bringing smiles and warmth that stayed long after the flowers were arranged.

Residents from both of our units participated in the event, joined by their families and the care team, turning our lounge into a vibrant workshop of creativity and laughter. For many, the activity stirred fond memories of gardens, favourite flowers, and times spent arranging blooms in years gone by. The presence of loved ones made the occasion even more meaningful, reinforcing the connection between care, community and personal well-being.

This event is perfect example of how partnership with local organisations can create special moments for those we care for. We are truly grateful to Gillian and the Asda Hamilton team for helping us make the day so memorable.

At Abercorn House, we believe that everyday offers an opportunity to enrich lives, and on this day, we did just that, one flower at a time.

A Winning Day Out for Abercorn House Residents

We’re thrilled to share a joyful story from Abercorn House, where residents enjoyed a fantastic day at Hamilton Racecourse, joined by the dedicated activities team.


A Day at the Races-Bella, Tom, Jim and Joan Join the Betting Bachelors at Hamilton Racecourse!

Last Friday (18 July 2025), spirits were high as Abercorn House residents Bella, Tom and Jim enjoyed an unforgettable day out at Hamilton Racecourse, joined by our fantastic activities team members Von and Rohwell. The outing brought joy, laughter, and a special kind of magic that made it a truly memorable day for all involved.

Tom, who hadn’t been feeling his best in the days leading up to the trip, had a noticeable lift in his mood. Being out in the fresh air, surrounded by good friends, and soaking in the lively atmosphere of the races truly brought a spark back to him. And that spark turned into full blown cheer when he and Rohwell picked the winning horse in one of the races! With cheeky grins, the pair proudly dubbed themselves the “betting bachelors” and they’ve been reminding us of their victory ever since!

Jim was joined by his loving wife Joan, and seeing them together was a joy. They held hands, cheered on the horses, and shared warm moments that reminded everyone of the strength of their bond. Joan beamed as she said, “It feels just like the old days”.

Bella brought her usual sunshine to the group. Elegant and engaging, she made new friends among the crowd and encouraged others to clap and cheer along. She later shared, “I haven’t laughed this much in a long time”.

Von made sure the day ran smoothly, supporting everyone while capturing special moments and sharing in the laughter. His energy and compassion helped make the trip not just an outing, but a truly meaningful experience.

After the races, the group gathered for drinks and treats, reflecting on the day with smiles and stories. Jim called it a “perfect day”, joked that he’s now officially Abercorn’s racing expert.

This day out wasn’t just about horses, it was about connection, joy and the simple moments that make life special. We’re so proud to see our residents living life to the fullest, and we’re already looking forward to the next adventure with the Betting Bachelors leading the way!

Abbotsford Nursing Home – Namaste Care

We’re delighted to share how Abbotsford Nursing Home has been delivering the Namaste Care programme, please read below to find out more.


In Abbotsford Nursing Home we have implemented a Namaste Care programme, founded by Joyce Simard. ‘Namaste’ comes from the Hindu greeting and expresses a wish to honour the essence of an individual person.  Namaste Care believes, that despite the ravages of dementia on the brain, the ‘essence’ and ‘spirit’ of the person remains.  The challenge is to find ways to connect to the individual’s spirit, to enrich everyday life experiences and doing so improve quality of life.

The principles of the Namaste Care programme include creating a calm and comfortable environment, providing activities and interactions with an unhurried, loving touch approach, and using other elements to engage the senses. This all leads to creating an environment and atmosphere to allow space for positive and meaningful connection.

Abbotsford nursing home was the second home in Scotland to implement Namaste Care following a supportive educational programme developed initially in 2011 by Dr Lorna Reid, formally of Accord Hospice and now Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice, in 2013 Fiona Irvine joined form the Ayrshire Hospice.

In 2013 Lorna and Fiona further developed the Education Programme resulting in a four day face to face experiential pilot course.  Part of this course provided a placement day within the only care home in Scotland to have successfully implemented Namaste Care with the support of Lorna.

Due to Abbotsford attending palliative care courses run by the Ayrshire Hospice we were asked to join the pilot.  The successful implementation of Namaste Care was initially supported by the Ayrshire Hospice through regular support meetings from Fiona.  Our activity organiser, Lianne Lieser attended the pilot and immediately saw the benefit that Namaste Care would bring to our residents who did not actively participate or engage in activities within the Home.  Through, trial and error we adapted the criteria on occasions to suit the needs of our residents, we have looked at residents with levels of distress, anxiety, low mood.  The feedback from residents, families and staff were very positive and encouraging. Staff have also reported that residents appear more alert, more relaxed and eat and drink more after a session at Namaste.

Margaret Chisolm, aged 83 lives with Parkinson’s disease which affects her dexterity causing her to be stiff and sore at times, she is unable to lift a glass independently.  However, after a session of Namaste, she is able to pick her glass up and with the use of a straw take a drink independently.  “I feel much more relaxed after Namaste, I especially enjoy the massage

One relative said, “My wife is more alert and smiling, which I haven’t seen for a long time”.

We have been committed in implementing Namaste Care with the residents since, 2014 and pre-pandemic they welcomed participants from future courses on placement days.  The project has demonstrated the effectiveness of collaborative working between hospices and care homes to improve the quality of life for residents and their families living and dying with various life limiting co-morbidities including advanced dementia.

We are now one of the few homes who continue to provide Namaste Care in Ayrshire and recently we were approached by Fiona Irvine and Dr Lorna Reid who were looking to restart the Namaste Care training following the unsettling time after the pandemic. We were asked by them to  get involved, by making a sort film as a testimonial to improve communication about Namaste Care and inform others about the benefits of  Namaste care so they could promote their new training programme and encourage other care homes to develop Namaste Care within their homes.

Intergenerational Connections at Abbotsford Care Home Ardrossan

Busy Bees and Abbotsford Care Home have worked together for many years to create an age inclusive group where children and older adults can make social connections to enhance their wellbeing and self-confidence (incorporating Curriculum for Excellence and SHANARRI).

Busy Bees offer a friendly and professional childcare services for all children aged 6 weeks to 5 years old. Since being established in 1994, the Busy Bees team put the children in their care at the top of their priority every day.  Both groups recognised the opportunity of coming together with older adults in the care home and the benefits intergenerational activities could have for all participants.

The Busy Bee friends have been visiting Abbotsford Care Home since 2001, and in the last couple of years it’s become  every Thursday morning.  Participants include seven children between the age of three to five and around seven to ten of our residents . Since the group started, children, their teachers/carers and older adults have created a special bond, shown through the children’s excitement coming to Abbotsford each week, and the laughs they share together. Abbotsford staffs’ children and grandchildren have been part of this journey over the years and they share fond memories of visiting the home.  These relationships were not made overnight, but through consistency in the sessions which allowed everyone to get to know each over time. Each session follows a theme such as gardening, families and friendships, seasons, etc, singing songs together and storytelling, followed by an activity such as board games, jigsaws and parachute games.

They celebrate cultural events together to promote diversity and inclusion and understanding among the children and older adults.  It helps them develop a sense of respect and appreciation for different cultures and traditions, it also offers the opportunity for everyone to learn history, geography and social studies.

A staff member has said:  “My grandson was in the Nativity play and it was lovely to see how he interacted with everyone, and the joy the children brought to the residents”.

Lucy’s mum said that “Lucy loved going to Abbotsford and telling me all about what she got to do there.  This is a really valuable experience for the children, getting to interact with older people”.

On 23rd June, 2025,  they celebrated the Busy Bees childrens’ graduation, where the children end their chapter at Busy Bess and move on to primary school, but their story is not over as we have close links to the local primary schools Caledonia and Stanley Primary school and we continue to foster these relationships.

Freya a Busy Bee pupil said, “I liked we were getting to read a book with Marion

Freya’s mum commented, “ Freya has really enjoyed her visits to Abbotsford and talks about the ladies and gentlemen she has met and what she has done”.

Heather, a Busy Bees staff member said, “This has been an incredible experience for all involved.  Such a great way to bring generations of people together to form positive relationships.  An amazing learning opportunity for our early years class and you can really see the importance of these visits for the residents”.  Heather herself hopes to further her relationship with the residents who do not have many visitors by writing them letters and popping in with her own daughter for a visit.

To understand the benefits that intergenerational connections brings to both parties Carol-Ann and her sister Jillian (owners of Busy Bees nursery), state:

Personally, Jillian and I have a very strong connection with the staff and residents of Abbotsford as we have been part of their family for so many years now.  We have been working in partnership for 20+ years and we would be lost without our visits.

When we visit and we see a friend (resident) who may be feeling sad/low…, the children walk in and their mood lifts almost instantly.  The glow on the faces are priceless and the fun begins.

When the children get to know the residents through our weekly visits the bonds that are made are unbreakable.  When we draw up in our ‘Bee Bus’, the children are so excited to get into see which friends they will be spending time with today.

The intergenerational learning where the children and friends (residents) learn from each other is an important part of life long learning, where the generations work together to gain skills, values and knowledge providing opportunities for unrelated people different generations to interact with each other.

Through our connections with the residents of Abbotsford we feel this :- helps reduce ageism and stereotyping between generations and improves relationships between early years and the older generation, brings joy and happiness to all  involved…..Residents, Children, Nursery staff and Care home staff.

We all love our visits/work with Abbotsford staff and residents and hope it continues for many more years”.

Pauline’s from Birch House Races For Life

Scottish Care is delighted to share an inspiring story from Birch House in Peterculter, Aberdeen, where resident Pauline recently completed the Race for Life, which is a remarkable personal achievement.

Pauline first expressed interest in taking part in the Race for Life in May 2024. However, with only a few weeks until the event and no time to train, the team at Birch House encouraged her to aim for the June 2025 race instead, giving her a full year to prepare.

Living with ataxia and using a walking stick, Pauline took on what she describes as one of the hardest challenges she has ever faced. She committed herself to a year of training, with regular exercise and going on long walks at least three times a week to build up her stamina and strength.

The team at Birch House actively promote positive risk-taking, encourage residents to push through barriers, and foster a mindset focused on growth, wellbeing and achieving goals. On race day, Pauline was cheered on by ‘Team Pauline’, a supportive group including fellow residents Laura Will and Matthew Watt, Support Worker Pimjuta McNamara, and Deputy Manager Kasia Grimble. The team all wore t-shirts with the message: “Support Squad – You Are Not Alone.”

Pauline proudly crossed the finish line and shared,

“It was hard, but it felt good to go through the finishing line.”

She raised £320 for Cancer Research UK, a cause that means a great deal to her. Her close friend Alison is currently undergoing treatment for bowel cancer, and Birch House’s Home Manager is a breast cancer survivor. Pauline wanted to give back to an organisation that helps so many affected by cancer  and now wears her medal with pride around the home.

 A huge well done to Pauline and the team at Birch House. All of us at Scottish Care are incredibly proud of you!

Scottish Care/Wagestream Webinar – 14 August 2025

Upcoming Webinar for Scottish Care Members

Beyond the Paycheck: Strengthening Your Care Workforce Through Financial Wellbeing

Date: Thursday 14th August, 12:15pm – 1:00 pm
45-minute session with Q&A

Join us for an exclusive Scottish Care member webinar in partnership with Wagestream, our commercial partner, focused on building a resilient, empowered care workforce.

This session will explore how investing in employee financial wellbeing can help address sector-wide workforce challenges from high turnover and recruitment struggles to absenteeism and burnout. Discover practical tools, proven outcomes, and real-life impact stories from care providers.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why financial stress is driving disengagement and turnover in care
  • How Wagestream’s tools, from flexible pay to budgeting and savings, are improving workforce stability
  • Case study insights: 16% lower turnover, 27% faster recruitment, and up to 32% reduction in agency spend

Who should attend?
CEOs, owners, HR and Finance Directors, and senior leaders in Scottish Care member organisations.

Don’t miss this opportunity to future-proof your workforce.

Register via the Members Area to secure your place!

Care Home Awards 2025 – Nominations Now Open!

We’re delighted to announce that nominations are now open for the Scottish Care Home Awards 2025!

These annual awards celebrate the outstanding dedication, creativity, and compassion shown by care home staff and services across Scotland. It’s your chance to shine a spotlight on those making a real difference every day.

The Awards Ceremony will take place on:
Friday 14 November 2025
Hilton Hotel, Glasgow


2025 Award Categories include:

  • Ancillary & Support Staff
  • Nutrition & Eating Well
  • Meaningful Activity
  • Training, Learning & Staff Development
  • Emerging Talent
  • Outstanding Achievement
  • Leadership
  • Palliative & End of Life Care Practice
  • Nurse of the Year
  • Care Worker of the Year
  • Specialist Service/Unit of the Year
  • Care Home Service of the Year
  • Care Innovation Award

Key Dates

  • Deadline for entries: Monday 1 September 2025 (close of play)
  • Awards Ceremony: Friday 14 November 2025, Hilton Hotel, Glasgow

Help us recognise the individuals and teams who go the extra mile in care homes across Scotland.

We can’t wait to read your inspiring submissions!

Find out more on how to enter here