Care homes in Perthshire and Fife have been threatened with closure in the latest care inspections.
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 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.
ASC Orchard Court and Dalguise, Balbeggie
- Previous ratings: Wellbeing – 2, leadership – 2, staff – 2, setting – 2, planning – 3
- New ratings: Wellbeing – 2, leadership – not assessed, staff – not assessed, setting – not assessed, planning – not assessed
- Inspection date: September 5
Inspectors issued an improvement notice to the care home for adults with learning disabilities after concerns over restrictive practices.
By October 31, the home must ensure no person is subjected to restrictive practice unless it is to secure “their or other people’s, welfare and there are exceptional circumstances”.
The Care Inspectorate said the home must also put in place restraint plans for each service user and ensure staff have the “skills and experience required to meet people’s health, welfare and safety needs”.
The watchdog has warned that the home’s care registration could be cancelled if there is not “significant improvement”.
During a visit, inspectors found that some “aspects of the culture of care and practice in the service demonstrated unnecessarily restrictive practice.”
The report said this approach “had the potential to be disabling for some people and could also be considered demeaning or degrading.”
Noah’s Ark Children’s Nursery, Lochgelly
- Previous ratings: Not available
- New ratings: Care, play and learning – 4, setting – 4, leadership – 4, staff – 5
- Inspection date: August 29
Inspectors said children were “happy and enjoying their time in the service”.
They reported parents “highly” valued the nursery and staff team and that there was a “warm, welcoming ethos”.
The Care Inspectorate recommended improvements in resources and quality assurance systems.
Gemma Akel Childminding, Dunfermline
- Previous ratings: Not available
- New ratings: Care, play and learning – 5, setting – 5, leadership – 5, staff – 5
- Inspection date: August 23
Inspectors said language, literacy and numeracy were “promoted strongly” through play.
The childminder was also praised for “responsiveness to young children’s cues”.
She had also formed “positive relationships” with families.
Calaiswood School Nursery, Dunfermline
- Previous ratings: Care, play and learning – 6, setting – 6, leadership – not assessed, staff – not assessed
- New ratings: Care, play and learning – 5, setting – 5, leadership – 5, staff – 5
- Inspection date: September 17
Inspectors found staff had “calm, warm and loving” interactions with the child using the service at the time of the visit.
They said workers were “highly skilled and exceptional at meeting the child’s needs”.
Officials also added that “positive, trusting attachments” had been formed between the child and staff.”
The service also showed “commitment and dedication” to ensure the child “reached their full potential”.
Strathallan Out of School Club, Kirkcaldy
- Previous ratings: Care, play and learning – 4, setting – 4, leadership – 3, staff – 4
- New ratings: Care, play and learning – 4, setting – 5, leadership – 4, staff – 4
- Inspection date: September 27
The watchdog said children benefitted from access to outdoor play spaces and “enjoyed their time in the club”.
Children told inspectors they were “listened to” and that their opinions were valued.
The small staff team was also found to be “kind and respectful”.
Lomond View Care Home, Falkland
- Previous ratings: Wellbeing – 3, leadership – 3, staff – 3, setting – not 3, planning – 3
- New ratings: Wellbeing – 2, leadership – 2, staff – 2, setting – 4, planning – 2
- Inspection date: October 3
Lomond View Care Home could be forced to close after a recent inspection uncovered issues around staff training and medication use.
The Care Inspectorate said the visit raised “significant concerns”, with inspectors reporting that people were ” at risk of harm as a result of not receiving their medication.”
They also said communication between staff was “poor” and that a handover was not given between shifts.
The watchdog has warned it could move to shut the home down if changes are not made and issued an improvement notice.
Other recent reports published by the Care Inspectorate are listed below (clicking will download a PDF):
- The Old Lodge, Stirling
- Earlsferry House, Elie
- Scoonie House, Leven
- Castle Lodge, Montrose
- Excel Care Services, Dunfermline
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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