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Our Team

Our team have been personally selected by us not only on the basis of their experience and ability to deliver a high quality service but on their commitment to our values and ethos. When we are recruiting we ask ourselves; Would we want this person in our relatives home, offering Companionship to someone who is very important to us? Can this person work in a kindly and respectful manner at the pace set by the client? Will this person be able to empathise with a client and give the level of attention to detail in their work necessary to promote a client’s wellbeing? We interview all prospective team members, take up references and insist on background checks through Disclosure Scotland. All team members must successfully complete a probationary period.

Anne

Anne

Anne is an Occupational Therapist with experience in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked both in the third sector and in the NHS. She has a particular interest in dementia having worked in the NHS with this patient group.

Her interests and activities include being a trained Over 60’s exercise leader, a volunteer for “Spokes for Folks Inverness”, a local charity group providing bike rides for the elderly, and she is a member of a contemporary dance group.

Moira

Moira

Moira has recently retired after working for over 30 years in the Civil Service. She has experience of assisting clients from a range of different backgrounds and has been a MacKenzie Companion since 2018.

Moira is a keen hill walker, cyclist and wild swimmer and very much enjoys supporting and encouraging clients to enjoy time outdoors.

Sheona

Sheona

Sheona has over 35 years’ experience in the Education sector; a mixture of Primary school teaching, additional support needs for the sight-impaired and management. For a number of years she was the main carer for her elderly mother who had a diagnosis of dementia.

Sheona enjoys all things literary; reading, writing, poetry and puzzles. She loves dance, Yoga and swimming and would like to improve at playing the piano.

Bernie

Bernie

Bernie moved to Inverness from the South of England having spent most of her life there. She previously worked in Health and Social Care looking after older people. Bernie has experience of working within a dementia community in a residential setting and especially enjoys working with clients with a diagnosis of dementia.

Now semi-retired Bernie has decided to continue working with older people as a MacKenzie Companion, supporting and enabling clients to maintain their interests and enjoy life. Bernie has recently taken up cycling again after 40 years and has been out and about getting to know Inverness, discovering new places to cycle, and exploring the Highlands.

Florica

Florica

Florica is a qualified social worker and has worked in the Health and Social Care Sectors and in education. She has experience of working with individuals from a range of backgrounds and for a number of years, cared for and supported her own elderly relatives.

In her spare time Florica enjoys walking, gardening and sewing.

Kathleen

Kathleen

Kathleen, who is a fluent Gaelic speaker, previously worked as a Scottish Vocational Qualification assessor, for young adults with learning and development needs. She has personal experience of supporting individuals with a diagnosis of dementia having been very involved in caring for her late father.

When she is not working Kathleen enjoys baking, knitting, Pilates and walking her labrador Brody.

Training

We are a Qualifications Scotland Approved Training Centre and we have developed a Customised Award in Dementia Companionship which has been approved by Qualifications Scotland. This forms the basis for the training which all new team members must successfully undertake prior to starting work with clients.

We meet regularly as a team to train together and provide additional training to our team on a one-to-one basis as required. This enables us to ensure that we are providing a consistently high level of service that meets both the needs of our clients and is in line with the standards and values set by the business.

All new team members shadow an experienced member of the team for a minimum period of two weeks as part of their induction training and work alongside an experienced member of the team for the first month of their employment.

We hold team meetings on a 4-6 weekly basis. We also regularly distribute an email update on the activities of the business which all team members contribute to. Regular supervision is provided for all of the team.

All of our team have been trained to Dementia Informed Practice Level in accordance with the Promoting Excellence Framework that supports Scotland’s Dementia Strategy and some of our team have attained the Skilled and Expertise in Dementia Practice Levels.

As a company we are committed to continuously improving our services and keep up to date with new developments in approaches to working with older adults. We seek to encourage a culture of lifelong learning, and our team are encouraged and supported to seek additional training opportunities as appropriate to the business.