The Care Inspectorate has identified significant weaknesses at a care at home and housing support service in Auchinleck, grading it 'weak' across two quality indicators and 'adequate' across one other. The unannounced inspection took place in June, and findings have now been published.
Inconsistencies in care delivery
Inspectors found "inconsistencies" in how care was delivered, with some people "did not always experience the same level of safe and well-coordinated support." Improvements were needed in medication management, adult protection, and the handling of incidents and concerns to ensure risks are consistently identified and addressed.
Leadership and quality assurance systems were "not always effective" in spotting issues, taking timely action, and driving sustained improvement. Safer recruitment practices were partially in place but "not consistently followed" or "clearly evidenced," reducing assurance that all staff had been properly vetted.
Responsive management
Managers were "responsive" during the inspection and had started to address identified issues. However, "further work is required" to ensure systems and processes are robust and consistently applied, according to the report.
Ayrshire Care Solutions, based on Main Street, supports 67 people living in their own homes. The report noted: "Whilst we identified some strengths, these were compromised by significant weaknesses."
Medication and care planning concerns
Medication management was "inconsistent and, in some cases, unsafe," with missing or incomplete administration records. Some staff administered medication without a clear recording system, and gaps in recording for prescribed treatments placed people at risk of missed or double doses.
Care planning was also inconsistent, with some support plans containing detailed information but this practice not being uniform across the service. Leadership and support for people's wellbeing were graded 'weak', while the staff team received an 'adequate' grading.
The service has been given a list of requirements to implement by August to improve care standards.
