R4E is an international recognition scheme for organisations that demonstrate high levels of performance against the nine criteria of the EFQM Excellence Model.

Eildon’s chief executive, Nile Istephan, said: “Receiving 5 stars is fantastic recognition for the work of the Eildon Group and all our people, who have been working hard to deliver more improved services for our customers - especially through this past year and the challenges we’ve all faced.

“This 5-star recognition confirms that we are continuing to improve as an organisation, having built on the lessons learned from our previous EFQM 4-star status. It is also reassuring to know that we are continuing to learn and develop as we work through our record-breaking expansion of our housing and care services, delivering for the communities of the Scottish Borders. We are immensely proud of this achievement and my own thanks go to everyone who has helped make this possible.”

Offering their congratulations, Janet Robertson, director, EFQM Scotland, said: “It’s fantastic to see Eildon Housing Association achieve 5 Star Recognised for Excellence! We congratulate them on their hard work and courage in taking part during the Covid pandemic and embracing the virtual process. It is great to see that Eildon has improved on their previous 4 Star result and we look forward to working with them as members to support them as they continue to progress with their work using the EFQM Model. 

“We are delighted to share Eildon’s success with the EFQM community and to celebrate this recognition of their dedication to ensuring excellent standards in their housing and care services in Scotland. Thank you to everyone who took part in the application and site visit and congratulations again on an impressive result.”