Present at the official opening was the then Chair of Social Work, the late Councillor Jim Handibode – and currently working at the East Kilbride home is his granddaughter, Chloe Bain.

Chloe began her career 17 years ago, at the age of 17, as a Skillseeker at Meldrum Gardens. She moved on to work in other homes but returned just over two years ago as a Senior Social Care Worker.

She said: “I’ve loved all of the homes I’ve worked in but Meldrum Gardens has a special place in my heart. It is wonderful to be here when it is reaching this anniversary, and even more so to think of my Papa being in these very rooms 20 years ago.

“He was an inspiration to me and did so much for this area and for people across South Lanarkshire, and hearing people talking about him at the anniversary celebration was really quite emotional – it means a lot that he’s remembered so well by others.”

The Chief Officer for South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, Professor Soumen Sengupta, said: “Several generations of Councillor Handibode’s family have served the people of South Lanarkshire in various capacities as elected members and council employees, but it is especially poignant that his granddaughter is now part of our dedicated health and social care family.

“It is testament to the powerful difference that our social work staff and our social care teams – past, present and future – have made, and continue to make, to the lives of our communities.”