Our mission is to provide quality support services to older people and their carers within the communities of Northwest rural Edinburgh, enabling them to maintain an active and independent lifestyle within their own communities.
Our vision is to continue to develop and provide services that make a positive difference in the lives of older people.
We are compassionate
To us, this means:
Acting considerately to enrich people’s quality of life.
Providing quality care and support.
We see examples of this like:
Through listening to people’s stories, we find out what is important, and can then support in appropriate, caring ways. For example, going to the shops to buy a Christmas card and present for their spouse, getting out of the house for a walk or scoot around the local area, accompanying to the shops rather than having to ask a family member. At the centre we provide a range of activities and entertainment, food, and snacks. We are interested in all aspects of life and support people to connect with anything that is important to them, including any beliefs or faith.
We are active in building community connections
To us, this means:
Building meaningful and long-lasting connections with other community groups.
connecting people with others in their community.
Being local and visible in the places we work, and active in working to develop services that suit each community.
We see examples of this like:
If we can’t help you, we’ll know someone who can. We get so many people, including Social Workers, and members of the public phoning or popping in to ask questions. Questions such as how or where to access support, to where to buy a ferrule for a walking stick.
Our volunteer hub’s local directory highlights the range of different services available throughout Rural NW Edinburgh. Feedback from ‘professionals’ working in our local area highlights the local directory is a well-used, and highly valued resource.
Our Volunteer Coordinator keeps in contact with most of the local volunteer led groups, passing on information, offering training opportunities, or supporting in other ways, if necessary.
We are respectful
To us, this means:
Accepting and valuing everyone.
Celebrating life experience.
We see examples of this like:
We acknowledge and value difference and look for ways to keep people connected. For example, providing support for a profoundly deaf person, especially during lockdown. We asked a volunteer to visit and have a sign language chat through the window once a week.
We are enhancing and enriching lives
To us, this means:
Being known and trusted for putting people at the centre of our professional, high quality services.
Working with integrity and not being complacent in striving to be the best we can be.
Being socially responsible for everyone involved with Queensferry Care.
We see examples of this like:
We value each and everyone who is involved with Queensferry Care: staff, service users, carers, volunteers, board members and supporters.
The volunteer hub actively supports, strengthens, and protects local leisure activities. An example is when a local lunch club needed volunteers to keep it going. Our Volunteer Coordinator was able to provide volunteers until the lunch club was able to provide their own volunteers again.
We actively listen to people, to provide life enhancing & enriching services and individual activities. For example, registering for Handy Cab service allowed a family to holiday together. Frustration with garden neglect promoted the garden tidy service.
We are sustainable as an organisation
To us, this means:
Being ambitious to grow and sustain our services.
Adapting where needed to maintain our services over the medium and long term.
Persevering with resilience through adversity.
We see examples of this like:
We have over the years expanded, and retracted, services due to funding available. However, we have continually provided day care for over 25 years. We have successfully expanded this service to encompass more areas, and days. During the Covid Pandemic we adapted to offer people a service in their own home / community. This has proved successful and will be on offer going forward.
Our befriending service adapted too, offering telephone calls or letter writing when face-to-face was not allowed.
From a community survey in 2018, we developed a volunteer garden tidy service, driving service and lunch clubs in Kirkliston and Ratho.