The results of the Care Inspectorate inspection of the Care at Home Service in October 2025
St Columba’s Hospice Care reveals unannounced inspection results.
Edinburgh’s St Columba’s Hospice Care has, this week, received the final report of an unannounced three-day inspection carried out by The Care Inspectorate. The inspection was carried out on 6,9 & 10th October 2025 and focussed on the Care at Home service. The service was graded ‘Very Good’ for all quality indicators reviewed during the unannounced visit with no recommendations made at all, highlighting the services’ capacity to support people’s wellbeing and the quality of the staff team.
The Care Inspectorate is the national regulator for all care services in Scotland, and every care provider must be registered, and is subject to inspection.
The inspection in October found that “people were very well supported at home by a staff team they knew”, as well as being able to direct their own care and support where able. The report also concluded that “people and staff benefitted from working with the wider Hospice teams and had close working relationships”.
The Care at Home Service provides support to patients between 8am and 8.30pm, allowing service users to retain their independence at home, whilst being supported by industry leading standards of care.
The report also highlighted the quality of the staff team, stating that “After assessment by the care home lead, staff were allocated to provide 1.1 or 2.1 support with enough time allocated to provide any personal or practical care and have meaningful interactions. This meant people being supported had the right staff at the right time.”
Donna Hastings, Head of People and Family Services at St Columba’s Hospice Care, said: “we are delighted with the outcome of this unannounced inspection for our Care at Home service. We are constantly evaluating the best way to meet the needs of the patients in our community, and are incredibly proud of the Care at Home staff team. “The outcome of this report is testament to the hard work of our staff, who deliver outstanding care to every one of our patients across Edinburgh and East Lothian. I’d like to thank them all for their hard work, adaptability and dedication.”
To view the full report, please visit Key Documents (stcolumbashospice.org.uk)
