Care home · Kirkwall, Scotland

Short Breaks, 32/34 Pickaquoy Loan

Good or better in every area graded (4/6) Care Inspectorate

Short Breaks, 32/34 Pickaquoy Loan is a care home in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, run by Orkney Islands Council. It is registered for 4 people, with 4 single bedrooms.

Address
St. Colm's Complex, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1RP
Run by
Orkney Islands Council
Type of provider
Council-run
Type of care home
Learning Disabilities
Places
4 (4 single rooms)
Main area of care
Learning difficulties
Also cares for
Autism spectrum disorders, Hearing impairment, Learning difficulties, Mental health problems (other than dementia), Neurological condition (other than dementia), Physical disability or illness, Visual impairment
Council area
Orkney Islands
Registered
April 2002
Last inspection
20 March 2026

Care Inspectorate grades

How well do we support people's wellbeing?4 · Good
How well is care and support planned?4 · Good
How good is our setting?4 · Good
How good is our staff team?4 · Good
How good is our leadership?4 · Good

Grades published 19 May 2026. Scale: 6 excellent, 5 very good, 4 good, 3 adequate, 2 weak, 1 unsatisfactory.

Read the inspection reports on the Care Inspectorate website →

Short Breaks, 32/34 Pickaquoy Loan compared with care homes in Orkney Islands

  • Lowest grade. Its lowest grade is 4 (good). Of the other 4 care homes in Orkney Islands, 0 have a higher lowest grade and 3 have the same. 75% of them are graded 4 (good) or better in every area, against 77% of all care homes in Scotland.
  • Grade by theme against the Orkney Islands average. Wellbeing 4 (area average 4.0); Care planning 4 (area average 4.0); Setting 4 (area average 4.5); Staff team 4 (area average 4.0); Leadership 4 (area average 4.3).
  • Last inspection. Inspected 8 months ago; the median for care homes in Orkney Islands is 17 months.
  • Size. Registered for 4 people. The median is 36 for care homes in Orkney Islands, and 0% are smaller.
  • Staffing. 1.8 staff reported for 4 places, or 0.45 per place. The median for care homes in Orkney Islands is 0.86. Reported staff numbers are a rough guide, not a safe-staffing measure, so ask the service how it staffs each shift.
  • Complaints and enforcement. The Care Inspectorate datastore records no upheld complaints and no enforcement notices for this service in 2025-26 and 2026-27 to date. 0% of the other care homes in Orkney Islands have at least one upheld complaint in the same period.
  • Registered. On the regulator's register since April 2002 (24.7 years); the median for care homes in Orkney Islands is 24.7 years.
  • Same provider. Orkney Islands Council also runs 10 other regulated services in Scotland (3 care homes, 7 care at home) across 1 council area, including Hamnavoe House (Orkney Islands), Kirkjuvagr House (Orkney Islands), Smiddybrae House (Orkney Islands), Care at Home Services (Orkney Islands).
  • Health board. Orkney Islands sits in the NHS Orkney area.

Compared with the other 4 care homes on this site in Orkney Islands. Source: Care Inspectorate datastore. Grades describe the last inspection, not the service today.

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Paying for care in Scotland (2026/27)

  • Free personal care for adults assessed as needing it, at any age: in a care home the council pays £260.30 a week towards personal care, plus £117.10 a week for nursing care if needed.
  • Care home fees are means-tested: savings above £36,750 mean you pay the rest of the fee yourself; below £22,750 savings are ignored, and £1 a week is counted for every £250 in between.
  • Personal care at home (help with washing, dressing, eating) is free once the council assesses the need; other help at home may be charged.

Paying for care in Scotland: full guide → · Care Inspectorate grades explained → · How long will savings last? →

Service details and grades from the Care Inspectorate datastore, checked November 2026, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The Care Panel is an independent directory and does not provide care.

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