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Crisis-hit Glenrothes care service faces closure after latest scathing inspection report

Glamis House, run by Leonard Cheshire, has been given until the end of June to show "significant improvement".

Glamis House in Glenrothes. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson
Glamis House in Glenrothes. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

A crisis-hit Glenrothes care service is being warned it faces closure after its latest scathing inspection report.

Inspectors visited Glamis House – which offers supported living services for people with learning difficulties and physical support – in February.

A report on that visit – which has since been taken off the Care Inspectorate website due to an error – highlighted a litany of further issues.

That included 17 reported cases of medication errors and staff – including management – being given insufficient training.

Service ordered to show ‘significant improvement’

In a notice issued this month, the Care Inspectorate has now told the service – run by Leonard Cheshire – to show “significant improvement” by the end of June.

If those do not happen, the Care Inspectorate says it will move to have Glamis House shut down.

This relates to the care service only – and not the care home.

Operators say “concerted effort” has been made but recruitment issues have delayed improvements.

Concerns were first raised in March 2022 following an inspection, with several follow-up visits finding further issues.

That led to Leonard Cheshire suspending its entire Glamis House leadership team and putting new staff in place.

The Courier previously revealed how one resident had been left without care for 18 hours.

What are the latest Glamis House findings?

In the report on the two-day February visit – which is being amended by the Care Inspectorate due to an “error” – inspectors found issues including:

  • The local leadership team were “newly appointed and inexperienced” with senior management support “inadequate and ineffective”
  • The deputy manager had “no experience” working with people who have learning disabilities and complex needs
  • On one occasion, a person’s confidentiality was breached when information was shared with a volunteer
  • People using the service were experiencing “stress and distress” due to changes in people’s hours of support
  • During a financial audit in January, people’s money tins were taken from their flats without consultation with them or their families
  • A member of staff supporting a person on emergency epilepsy medication did not have the appropriate training
Glamis House supported living in Glenrothes. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson.
Glamis House provides a supported living service. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson
  • Care plans were inconsistent; one person’s hospital passport said they could consent to medical treatment, however, a Section 47 certificate of incapacity was also in the plan meaning they could not
  • Incident reports often described people as being “aggressive and violent” rather than “distressed or stressed”, which showed a lack of insight and compassion
  • Between November 18 and the end of January, 17 medicine errors were reported – with more errors found during the inspection
  • Medication was left unsecured in an unmanned office with an open door, accessible to anyone
  • Large amounts of medication would be returned to the pharmacy with concerns people had not received it as prescribed.

Operator unaware of ‘scale and severity of concerns’

The report also criticised Leonard Cheshire for showing a “lack of insight into the scale and severity of the concerns about management and leadership of the service”.

It said this, along with medication errors and a failure to review training, “puts people at further risk”.

Following scathing reports in 2022, the Care Inspectorate initially gave Glamis House until January 31 to improve but that has been extended until June 30.

Should that not happen, moves will be made to close the service.

Glamis House report Glenrothes
A Courier report from last year on Glamis House.

A letter to Leonard Cheshire said: “If there is no significant improvement within the revised timescale, we intend to make a proposal to cancel your registration.”

A spokesperson for The Care Inspectorate said: “Our most recent inspection of this service found some evidence of limited improvement.

“We have decided to extend the time the service provider has to ensure the improvements are embedded and sustained.

“The most recent inspection report has been temporarily removed from our website to correct an error.”

A spokesman for Leonard Cheshire said: “Concerted effort has been made to deliver positive changes at Glamis supported living service and this is getting results.

“We continue to work with the Care Inspectorate and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership towards the action plan agreed with them.

“The timeline for improvements has now been extended by the regulator in recognition of improvements made.

“Sector recruitment challenges have impacted on our ability to recruit to some posts.

“This has slowed our ability to embed improvements.

“As we navigate our way through complex challenges, we are working positively in partnership with the Care Inspectorate and Fife Health and Social Care Partnership to get the best outcomes for people living at this service.”

  • Have you been affected by the issues at Glamis House? Email livenews@thecourier.co.uk

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