Residential and nursing home places are readily available but not always located in the area of choice. The recruitment and retention of staff is made difficult by the geography, and also by seasonal employment within the tourism industry. Geography creates similar pressures on services for children and families. Outside of the more populated urban areas there are difficulties ensuring equal access to services. This is particularly evident with regard to childcare provision, which is most required at those times of the year affected by peak employment patterns, and where sustainability becomes a critical issue during the winter months.
Service managers have good computerised information on which to base management decisions.
Over such a large geographical area, e-mail is an essential tool. All establishments have access to e-mail and first line managers and above have access to the internet. All support staff and managers have their own PC with fieldwork staff having a ratio of one computer to four staff. The main centres of population are centred around the Moray Firth where most specialist services can be found. However, there are community care units and day care centres in some of the more remote parts, for example, Acharacle and Gairloch, reflecting the council's commitment to provide local solutions, thereby sustaining communities, wherever possible.