A lack of staff at a Dundee home and children feeling “unloved” at a Glenrothes nursery feature in the latest care round-up.
The Courier has taken a closer look at the most recent Care Inspectorate reports for Tayside, Fife and Stirling.
The organisation is the watchdog for the care industry and inspects providers such as care homes and childcare services to ensure they meet required standards.
The watchdog grades services on key areas including wellbeing, leadership and staffing on a six-point scale where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent.
Some reports were only published weeks after the inspections took place.
Balhousie St Ronans, Dundee
Previous ratings
- Wellbeing – 3
- Staff – 2
New ratings
- Wellbeing – 3
- Staff – 2
Inspection Date
- January 13
Inspectors said there weren’t enough staff at Balhousie St Ronans care home to meet care and support needs of residents.
This was most apparent during key times of the day, including mornings and mealtimes.
As a result, those in care had limited time for meaningful interaction.
Communal areas could also not be consistently observed.
Despite the negatives, inspectors found many staff had a positive attitude and were kind and caring.
The care home has been given until March 31 to ensure that, at all times, staff can meet the demands of residents.
Busy Bees nursery, Glenrothes
Previous ratings
- Care, play and learning – 2
- Setting – 4
- Leadership – 3
- Staff – 2
New ratings
- Care, play and learning – 2
- Setting – 4
- Leadership – 3
- Staff – 2
Inspection date
- December 12
Inspectors were concerned at the lack of care provided to children at the nursery.
Although some younger children experienced warm interactions, others did not always receive care and support – meaning they did not always feel “valued” or “loved”.
Other issues included babies having to wait a long time for lunch, making them upset or unsettled.
There were also inconsistencies with the recording of medical information.
The Care Inspectorate said staff changes meant children had not always received consistent care which some families said was unsettling for their kids.
Meanwhile, older children were not always effectively supported or supervised.
Inspectors found that, on one occasion, a child left the playroom and was unsupervised in the garden.
The daycare service has been ordered to improve its care for children by February 28.
Willow House Care Home, Anstruther
Previous ratings
- Wellbeing – 3
- Leadership – 3
New ratings
- Wellbeing – 3
- Leadership – 3
Inspection date
- December 17
Willow House Care Home was judged to have met the improvements set out by the Care Inspectorate during a follow-up inspection.
Inspectors previously visited the care home in July, when they found unclean kitchens and bathrooms, worn bedding and an “unsafe” medication room.
Since that visit, the care home had set up a system to help identify what was working well and where improvements were needed.
Inspectors felt the system was being used effectively.
Regular audits are now taking place and, when areas for improvement are identified, an action plan is put in place.
Newcastle Early Learning Nursery, Glenrothes
Previous ratings
- Learning – 5
- Setting – 5
- Leadership – 6
- Staff – 5
New ratings
- Learning – 5
- Setting – 5
- Leadership – 6
- Staff – 5
Inspection date
- January 14
The manager of the Muirfield Drive nursery was praised for their “aspirational” leadership by inspectors.
The report said: “The manager was a visible presence throughout the service, allowing them to naturally observe and support staff practice in the playroom.
“The small staff team told us they found this very supportive, that they felt highly valued and respected as skilled and experienced practitioners.”
Children, families and staff are regularly consulted, with children’s thoughts and ideas regularly amplified by staff.
This ensured that children’s views consistently informed improvements and shaped their nursery experience.
The nursery was praised for its commitment to providing “the highest quality care, play and learning experiences for all children”.
Other recent reports published by the Care Inspectorate are listed below (clicking will download a PDF):
- Adelaide Thomson, Dunfermline
- Falkland Primary School Nursery, Cupar
- Inchture Wraparound Childcare, Perth
- Strachan Care Services, Carnoustie
You can find the full inspection reports on the Care Inspectorate website.
You can compare and monitor care home performance using The Courier’s care home tracker.
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