STAFF and service users at a Helensburgh-based support service for children and young people are celebrating a glowing report from inspectors.

The Care Inspectorate said the quality of staffing, care and support provided by Jigsaw from its base at Rhu Marina were both “very good” - the second-highest grade available.

The inspectors' report was published after an unannounced inspection of the service, which is run by Cornerstone Community Care, on December 5.

The report stated: “Supports for young people highlighted the individualised assessment processes used to determine interventions.

“For example, personal plans identified how each young person required support with aspects such as developing independence skills, learning to socialise with others and improving their ability to communicate their needs and preferences.

“Clear and detailed information helped staff to understand how each young person should be supported and alongside a robust outcomes framework, there was a focus on promoting positive experiences and meaningful outcomes.”

The service works with children and young people with a diverse range of physical and learning disabilities to offer them a chance to socialise and take part in a variety of activities.

It provides individual support and Saturday group activity sessions, as well as play scheme activities during school holidays.

The report highlighted some of the service's activities, including helping young people with safe travel, participating in local dance classes, preparing for talent shows and tackling isolation and exclusion.

It stated: “We found that this included attending the gardening club or music therapy sessions and these experiences helped young people to meet with peers and socialise with others.

“Additionally for some young people, the service helped to facilitate health appointments, which otherwise would have proved

difficult for some young people to attend.

“Families benefitted from additional support to support their child's health and wellbeing and opportunities to take part in physical exercise, such as, walking instead of using transport, supported their fitness and positive mental health.

“We also found that the service worked closely with other agencies in order to promote a joined up approach to meeting young people's needs and where specialised approaches were identified, staff within the service were trained to deliver key programmes.

“By becoming skilled in areas such as autism, those working at Jigsaw were able to address the complex needs of young people on the autism spectrum, while providing much needed support for families.”

Susan Lorimer, Children’s Services Manager at Cornerstone, said: These recent Care Inspectorate grades for our Jigsaw service in Helensburgh are a fantastic achievement and are a testament to the hard work of the team, who always ensure that the people we support and their families are involved in everything that happens.

“Our staff work tirelessly to ensure that our services are the best they possibly can be, and we are always eager to find new and innovative ways to improve and to help us fulfil our purpose of enabling the people we support to live a valued life – the life they choose.”