Inverness care home receives enforcement notice from care inspectorate but Castlehill operators Morar Living dispute substantial portions of the report
AN Inverness care home has been given notice to make improvements before the end of the month or face having its registration withdrawn.
An inspection of Castlehill Care Home in mid-June found leadership, staff, support for residents’ wellbeing, and how well care and support are provided all graded “weak” while the setting was considered “adequate”.
Though the operators, Morar Living, have objected to “substantial” parts of the report a follow-up inspection carried out over two days last month has also found cause for concern.
The second unannounced inspection found support, leadership and staff “unsatisfactory” with care and support planning and setting graded “weak”.
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An improvement notice now gives until October 27 to make significant changes or, the Care Inspectorate says, it will “make a proposal” for the facility to cancel its registration.
It states the care home must “ensure that service users experience safe and compassionate care and treatment that meets their health, safety and wellbeing needs and preferences.”
It is also called on “to monitor and manage the quality of care and effectively identify and drive improvements in the service” and “must ensure that service users are supported at all times by sufficient numbers of suitably skilled staff to meet their health, safety and wellbeing needs.”
Complaints made about the home in June, July, and August were upheld and identified what appear to be a high number of serious failings, according to the Care Inspectorate.
In all, 13 elements were upheld over the three complaints – eight concerning inadequate healthcare, three concerning privacy and dignity; one on policies and procedures; and one on well-being.
The healthcare issues refer to hydration, continence care, medication issues, and clinical governance.
The inspectorate states at one point that the home must ensure: “When there are changes to the health needs of people experiencing care, they are referred to appropriate health professional in a timely manner.”
It also calls on it to: “Ensure where people experiencing care sustain falls, including unwitnessed falls, best practice is followed with regard to taking and recording vital and neurological observations.
“Ensure that when people experiencing care are prescribed pain analgesia, there is a pain assessment and plan in place to fully guide staff on how they are to be supported.
“Ensure that any pain medication administered is evaluated with each person to ensure it is effective and further medical advice sought if not. Ensure that managers robustly monitor and audit the health needs of people experiencing care.”
Castlehill is currently home to 81 residents.
The improvement notice published on the Care Inspectorate website states: “Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (hereinafter referred to as “the Care Inspectorate”) has concluded that Castlehill Care Home, Caulfield Road North, Cradlehall, Inverness, IV2 5GH, is not operating in accordance with requirements of Regulations made under the Act and other prescribed grounds.
“The Care Inspectorate hereby gives you notice that unless there is a significant improvement in provision of the service, it intends to make a proposal to cancel your registration in terms of section 64 of the Act.”
A spokesperson for Morar Living made clear they do not accept the full terms of the inspection reports.
“Castlehill Care Home continually strives to improve upon the care it offers its residents,” they said.
“The Care Inspectorate acknowledged that 65 per cent of improvement requirements it claimed to be necessary have been carried out by Castlehill Care Home as a consequence of Castlehill Care Home’s own continual improvement plan.
“Castlehill Care Home also objected on substantive grounds to a number of other requirements alleged by the Care Inspectorate to be necessary.
“The Care Inspectorate report has partially amended its report but correction of other inaccurate recommendations is still required.
“Castlehill Care Home continues to work at its own hand and with the Care Inspectorate to ensure its residents obtain the very best care.”
