St Modans: Grade 6 Care, Innovation & Sensory Success

St Modans Care Home in Fraserburgh has emerged as one of Scotland’s most forward-thinking, resident-centred and innovative care homes - recognised nationally for its ground-breaking sensory room, awarded for sector-leading practice, and achieving the highest possible Care Inspectorate Grade 6 rating for excellence.

Across Scotland’s care sector, St Modans has become a name associated not just with high standards, but with innovation, creativity and truly person-centred care. While many care services aspire to deliver outstanding experiences, St Modans is actively doing it - and the recognition now reflects that.

A care home rooted in community, connection and high-quality support

Located in Fraserburgh, St Modans Care Home provides care for up to 65 residents with a diverse mix of needs, including dementia care, acquired brain injuries, nursing support and specialist adult care. The home’s wide range of services means colleagues support people with deeply varied life journeys and levels of independence.

This blend of services demands more than routine care. It requires a culture of adaptability, compassion and clinical confidence - all of which St Modans has long been known for within Meallmore, but now recognised across the wider care sector in Scotland.

The home’s recent achievements - Grade 6 Care Inspectorate ratings, national award wins, and the opening of a therapeutic sensory room - are not isolated successes. They are part of a consistent, long-term commitment to delivering outstanding care, improving resident wellbeing and investing in modern, dementia-friendly environments.

A Grade 6 Care Inspectorate rating: what excellence really looks like

Achieving a Grade 6 (“Excellent”) from the Care Inspectorate is rare. It signals that a care home is setting the standard for others to follow. It’s an assessment built on lived experience - how residents feel, how families are supported, how safe people are, and how well staff work as a unified, skilled team.

For St Modans, this Grade 6 rating confirms:

• Leadership is exceptionally strong and visible
• Care practices consistently exceed expectations
• Residents experience positive outcomes in wellbeing and daily life
• The environment actively supports independence and emotional regulation
• The home’s culture encourages reflective practice, kindness and dignity

A Grade 6 rating is not awarded simply for having modern spaces or good inspection paperwork. It is earned through consistent, high-quality interactions - the daily moments where residents feel understood, supported and valued.

Inspectors highlighted the team’s warmth, skill and attention to detail. They also noted that innovation, including the sensory room, is not treated as a novelty but as a meaningful tool that enhances therapeutic care.

The sensory room: a space designed to transform experiences

One of the defining features of St Modans - and a core reason behind its Grade 6 success - is its groundbreaking sensory room, launched after months of development and collaboration with residents, families and staff.

This sensory room represents a shift in how care homes can support people living with dementia, acquired brain injuries and complex needs. Instead of a standard activity space, St Modans created an adaptable, therapeutic environment with:

• Soft, adjustable lighting to reduce overstimulation
• Projection technology for calming visuals
• Carefully curated textures and sensory materials
• Comfortable, dementia-friendly seating
• Music, soundscapes and thematic sensory experiences

The sensory room was intentionally designed to be used daily, not occasionally - making it a central feature of St Modans’ wellbeing support. It is used to:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Improve communication and connection
• Support people experiencing distress
• Create quiet, calm moments for families
• Enhance memory, mood and engagement
• Provide a safe space for sensory exploration and rehabilitation

Where traditional care environments can sometimes overwhelm or under-stimulate residents, this room gives staff the flexibility to tailor their approach in real time.

Real impact on residents and families

What makes the sensory room so powerful is not just the technology - it’s the outcomes.

Team members at St Modans report profound shifts, including:

• Residents with dementia becoming calmer and more settled
• Reduced reliance on distraction-based or reactive strategies
• Longer, more meaningful visits between residents and relatives
• Improved mood and reduced anxiety
• Opportunities for people with communication challenges to engage in new ways

Families frequently describe the room as “transformative,” “soothing,” and “a space where I finally feel connected again.”

These experiences contributed directly to the home’s national Care Innovation Award, which recognised not just the room itself, but the thoughtful, personalised approach behind it.

Award-Winning Innovation: Care Innovation Award 2025

Winning the Care Innovation Award is a national achievement - and for St Modans, it represents validation of their forward-thinking approach.

The award celebrates care services that introduce meaningful, sustainable and impactful innovation. St Modans was selected because:

• The sensory room is grounded in evidence-based practice
• Staff are fully trained in sensory-based care techniques
• The room is used to support wellbeing daily, not as an add-on
• Residents with dementia and complex needs experience measurable benefits
• Families report improved emotional connection and calmer visits
• The project has strengthened the home’s community involvement and identity
• The sensory room aligns with modern dementia-friendly design principles

Award judges described the project as “a model of innovation embedded in genuine care” - highlighting St Modans as a leader in Scotland’s evolving social care landscape.

Why St Modans’ approach stands out in Scotland’s care sector

Many care homes have activity spaces or quiet rooms. But St Modans has gone significantly further. Their sensory room is not a budget installation or a trend-following project - it’s a thoughtfully crafted, high-impact therapeutic environment.

What makes it unique?

• Co-designed with residents, staff and families
• Built around the needs of people with dementia and acquired brain injuries
• Integrated into care planning and everyday routines
• Supported by training, reflection sessions and team development
• Adaptable to individual sensory preferences and emotional needs
• Demonstrates measurable improvements in wellbeing
• Recognised externally by award judges, inspectors and families

By linking environmental design with therapeutic practice, St Modans is redefining how care homes can support people whose communication, memory or cognition may fluctuate daily.

A culture of excellence behind the innovation

The sensory room is only one piece of a much larger picture. St Modans’ achievements stem from a culture where:

• Creativity is encouraged
• Staff feel confident to innovate
• Residents are partners in shaping their environment
• Families feel included, informed and supported
• Senior leadership is present, proactive and visible
• Colleagues across nursing, care, catering, housekeeping and activities work as one

This “one team” mindset is something inspectors consistently praised and is a major contributor to the Grade 6 rating.

Looking to the future

With its Grade 6 rating, sensory room success and Care Innovation Award, St Modans Care Home is positioned as a leading example of how Scottish care homes can adapt to modern challenges with creativity, compassion and confidence.

The team continues to refine sensory-based practice, explore new dementia-friendly design ideas, and share their learning across Meallmore and the wider care sector.

For residents, the impact is felt every day — in calmer moments, fuller engagement, and a sense of being recognised as whole individuals, not defined by illness.

For families, these achievements reinforce what they already know:
St Modans is a home where people are not just cared for, but truly understood.