A “stylish” Perth care home once described as the most spacious facility in Scotland has been given a scathing report by inspectors – just over a year after opening.
Kincairney House has been told to make a series of improvements after being branded weak – the second-lowest rating – for wellbeing, leadership and staffing.
It comes after visits from the Care Inspectorate in June and July.
The 80-bedroom care home boasts a cinema, beauty salon and vintage tearoom, offering “stylish yet comfortable and practical spaces”, according to operator Morar Living.
Bosses at the home say changes have already been made to address the report.
Residents’ care not monitored properly
The watchdog raised concerns about the monitoring of care and support, particularly overnight.
Two residents’ care plans said they should get personal care every three hours, but on some occasions this had not taken place for 12 hours.
Meanwhile, two residents who had technology in their rooms to protect their safety were moved – but the system was not reprogrammed.
This meant that when the technology was activated, staff were not told exactly where they were.
Staff were working without PVG checks
While inspectors praised staff for being kind, caring, attentive, respectful and friendly, new starts were working without the necessary checks in place.
Some did not have PVG checks, which are needed for those who do regulated work with children and vulnerable adults.
They had “generic risk assessments” while waiting for PVG checks to come through – but these lacked the detail needed, according to the inspection report.
The watchdog found management at the home to be weak and discovered that any changes – and the reasons for them – were not always clearly communicated.
This included when residents were moved from the floor they had been living on for a year – with family members saying it was upsetting and confusing for their loved ones.
It was also found that consultation with people and their relatives on any changes was limited, and in some cases only one week’s notice was given.
The Care Inspectorate report said: “Relatives stated they felt they had been given no choice in this decision and that if they complained, their parent may be asked to leave the home.
People clearly felt they had little influence on decisions made and the impact this had on them.”
Care Inspectorate
“Other comments included how poor communication was.
“People clearly felt they had little influence on decisions made and the impact this had on them.
“At the time of writing this report, staff had not been informed of the potential changes in their work patterns.”
Demand to make improvements
The home was told to make all improvements by August 22.
The care home on Glover Place opened last year in the former Atrium building, which used to belong to Perth and Kinross Council.
The Atrium was demolished in 2019 to make way for the care home.
A spokesman Morar Living said: “We take very seriously the findings of the Care Inspectorate (CI) and we are committed to working with them to ensure Kincairney House meets the standards expected.
“Following the inspection, we immediately took steps to address the requirements detailed in the CI report, and we are encouraged that a restructuring of the management team at the home is already having a positive impact on residents and the level of care we provide.
“We are confident that the requirements set out by the CI will be met before their deadline, and we can assure residents and their families that we are working hard to provide a safe, comfortable and happy environment at Kincairney House and to improve standards across the board.”
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