A care home in Cramond has been commended by Down’s Syndrome Scotland for “seeing the potential of everyone who just happens to have an extra chromosome.”
The praise comes after Cramond Residence created a tailored Food Services Assistant role specifically for 21-year-old Rachel Murray, who has Down’s syndrome.
Rachel, who has a passion for baking, secured the role after demonstrating her hard-work and talent in a variety of volunteer roles in cafés and the former Royal Hospital for Sick Children.
Now fully settled into the role, Rachel supports the care home’s four chefs to create bespoke dishes, helps with the daily tea and coffee run and takes breakfast orders. But Rachel’s favourite part of the job is baking sweet treats for the residents.
“In my role I get to do so many different things like deliver breakfasts, bake cakes, help with food prep and make cheeseboards and platters for the residents.
“My favourite thing is definitely the baking. I love to make lemon drizzle cake, cheese scones and apple crumble,” she said.
Since starting, Rachel has passed her level two food hygiene and has learnt a variety of kitchen skills. She is also going through her basic level dementia training to ensure she can communicate with residents effectively.
The team at Cramond Residence have been very impressed with Rachel’s work, and Christian Daraio, Client Liaison Manager at the care home described her as “a total asset to the team”.
Speaking about Rachel’s success at Cramond Residence, Eddie McConnell, Chief Executive of Down’s Syndrome Scotland said: “We are not at all surprised that Rachel has secured this opportunity. She is a great role model for our community and like so many people with Down’s syndrome, she has so much to contribute and has a great set of skills.
“We are delighted for her and we commend Cramond Residence for its foresight in seeing the potential of everyone who just happens to have an extra chromosome.”
Cramond Residence say they are hoping to grow their staff base further in 2022, and are hoping to give “more people in a similar position the chance to progress in their career and learn some new skills.”
The home currently has vacancies for both care assistants and registered nurses.
To find out more, call 0131 341 4037 or visit https://cramondresidence.co.uk/.
