BALHOUSIE CARE GROUP TRIUMPHS IN MAJOR AWARDS

Leading provider of care in Scotland, The Balhousie Care Group, has beaten off stern competition to win the prestigious 'Insider SME300 Best Small SME Company' title for 2009.

Balhousie's Chief Operating Officer Marco Truffelli, accompanied by Commercial Director Graham Ogilvie, picked up the award, which recognises exceptional achievement in a number of areas including leadership, innovation and focus, at a glittering reception in Glasgow, attended by 300 key business leaders from throughout the country, and was understandably thrilled by the company's latest accolade.

"This magnificent award is for each and every one of our staff across the country and is a tribute to their dedication, genuine care and hospitality. The application process for this award was extremely rigorous and focused on all areas of our operation including a comprehensive site visit," he said.

"Aspects that were highlighted included the consistent delivery of a quality service, the Group's operational planning process, the managing of key business risks and how we assess and monitor the performance of our employees."

In his acceptance speech, Marco Truffelli emphasised the group ethos: "In 1991, Tony Banks, our Founder and Chairman, opened the first home in Kirriemuir, passionately believing that he could make a difference by enabling families to make a positive choice in trusting the care of their loved one with Balhousie Care.

"Eighteen years on, we are leading with a new team in expanding the organisation by bringing together personal care and genuine hospitality in becoming the most respected and admired provider of residential care in Scotland. We owe this to each and every one of our 721 strong team who, day in and day out, are providing genuine care and hospitality to more than 700 residents at Balhousie Care Group.

"The judges were impressed by the fact that we commissioned a report from Dundee University, 'The Third Age', a study into the future needs of the elderly, in addition to the creation of a unique partnership with the same university whereby we are sponsoring a PhD student who is looking at innovative uses of multimedia stimulation to enhance the care of people with dementia."

The Insider Best Small SME Company award is the latest in a string of accolades for the Balhousie Care Group including the Virgin Fast Track 100 'Fastest growing company in Scotland 2008', finalist in the National Business Awards '08-'09 and finalist in the Scottish Care National Awards 2008, while founder and chairman Tony Banks was a finalist in the Tenon Entrepreneur of the Year category of the National Business Awards for Scotland 2008.