We were delighted to welcome Scotland’s Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing to Kelvinside Manor Care Home in Glasgow, where he met with residents and colleagues to see first-hand how human rights, dignity and choice are embedded into everyday life within a modern care home environment.

The visit provided an opportunity to showcase not only the high-quality care delivered at Kelvinside Manor, but also the role that care homes play in supporting independence, wellbeing and community connection. It also comes at an important time for the sector, as the national Care Creates campaign launches across Scotland, with its first theme focusing on Human Rights in Care.

This is something we see in action every single day in our homes.

Human Rights Are Not Policies - They Are Everyday Moments

When people hear the phrase “human rights in care”, they often think about legislation or policy. But in reality, human rights in care are lived out in small, everyday moments.

They are the right to:

• Choose when to get up in the morning
• Choose what to wear
• Choose what to eat
• Spend time with family and friends
• Continue hobbies and interests
• Be part of a community
• Be treated with dignity and respect
• Make decisions about your own life

During the visit, the Minister spent time speaking with residents and colleagues and saw how these rights are supported through person-centred care, meaningful activities, and an environment designed to help people continue living well.

Because care should never be about taking control away from someone - it should be about giving people control, choice and confidence.

Care Homes Are Places Where Life Continues

One of the most important things visits like this help demonstrate is that modern care homes are not just places where care is delivered - they are places where people live.

They are places where:

• Friendships are formed
• Families visit and spend time together
• People continue hobbies and interests
• People regain confidence after illness
• People feel safe, supported and part of a community

At Kelvinside Manor, the Minister saw residents enjoying daily life, spending time in communal areas, taking part in activities and speaking warmly about the relationships they have with colleagues and other residents.

This is what care should be - not just safe and professional, but warm, welcoming and full of life.

Care Creates Community, Confidence and Independence

The Care Creates campaign, led by Scottish Care, highlights the creativity, compassion and humanity within Scotland’s social care sector. The campaign recognises that care creates far more than people often realise.

Care creates:

• Independence
• Confidence
• Friendship
• Community
• Safety for families
• Purpose and belonging
• Opportunities for people to continue living well

We see this every day across Meallmore homes, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to show this in action during the Minister’s visit.

A Shared Vision for the Future of Care

Scotland’s social care sector plays a vital role in supporting people and communities, and visits like this are important in helping decision-makers understand both the challenges and the opportunities within the sector.

At Meallmore, our vision is:

To be Scotland’s most trusted care provider, consistently delivering excellent care in great places to live and work.

This means creating environments where residents feel at home, families feel reassured and colleagues feel valued and supported in their roles.

Our values - Create, Act, Recognise, Engage - guide everything we do, and human rights sit at the heart of those values.

Because when people feel respected, listened to and supported to live their life their way, that is when care is being delivered properly.

Care Is About Supporting People to Live Well

The visit to Kelvinside Manor was an important opportunity to highlight something we strongly believe:

Care is not just about looking after people.
It is about supporting people to continue living their life.

People who live in our homes have lived full and varied lives - as parents, teachers, engineers, carers, musicians, builders, volunteers and friends - and moving into a care home should never mean losing your identity, your independence or your voice. It should mean gaining support, community and peace of mind.

That is what human rights in care really mean.

And that is what care creates.

FAQs

Why did the Minister visit Kelvinside Manor?

The visit allowed the Minister to see first-hand how care homes support residents to live with dignity, independence and choice, and to speak with residents and colleagues about the role of social care in Scotland.

What are human rights in care homes?

Human rights in care homes include dignity, respect, independence, privacy, family contact, choice and being involved in decisions about your own life and care.

What is the Care Creates campaign?

Care Creates is a national campaign led by Scottish Care that highlights the value, creativity, compassion and humanity within Scotland’s social care sector.

What makes Kelvinside Manor special?

Kelvinside Manor provides high-quality, person-centred care in a warm, welcoming environment where residents are supported to live well, maintain independence and remain connected to family and community.

What is Meallmore’s vision?

Meallmore’s vision is to be Scotland’s most trusted care provider, delivering excellent care in great places to live and work.