A Fife home care service user was given medication they were allergic to, an inspection has revealed.
A scathing report into Kingdom Support and Care revealed a number of failings by the service, from cleanliness issues to restricting user’s access to their money.
It was also found that equipment used place a feeding tube into someone’s stomach was not cleaned or stored safely.
The home care service – part of the Kingdom Group – provides a mix of care in user’s own homes and accommodation for people in need of 24-hour support.
But on a recent visit by the Care Inspectorate, the service was rated ‘weak’ in two out of the three areas examined.
Kingdom Support and Care inspection found ‘unsafe’ medication handling
The inspector found the way medication was handled by staff was unsafe and needed urgent improvement.
The report said: “The support people received with medication was not safe and required improvement as a matter of urgency.
“One person received medication they were allergic to. This was despite an alert being clearly visible in their medication file.”
Their family were not told what had happened, the report said.
It also revealed some medication records did not provide adequate information.
The report said service users were “subject to restraint and restrictive practice”.
“This included the use of door alarms, surveillance alarms and people’s access to their finances being restricted,” it continued.
Service operators have been told to make improvements by the end of March.
‘Soiled and stained’ toilets
One of the homes run by the service was found to be “unclean” with bath and shower rooms poorly maintained.
Toilets and flooring were badly soiled and stained, with people sharing facilities without evidence of cleaning between uses.
Other issues included rusty and insecure handrails, flaking paint and chipped and scuffed skirting boards and doors.
These concerns were deemed more urgent and operators were told to improve these issues within 48 hours, which the report said was done.
There were also concerns over management, with staff not given the right information when asking for help.
A spokesman for Kingdom Support and Care said: “We are deeply disappointed by the outcome of our recent care inspection.
“The grades we received fell well short of the standards we set ourselves and which our customers are entitled to accept.
“The Care Inspectorate plays a key role in ensuring that the quality of care in Scotland meets high standards. We accept their findings, recommendations and requirements in full and we are committed to delivering the improvements required with pace and purpose.
“Our organisation has received consistently high care inspection grades over the years. Our aim is to return to that position at the earliest opportunity.”
Conversation