Closure- threatened home dubbed ’ weak’
A care home under threat of closure has been slammed by inspectors.
South Lodge in Ayr was branded “weak” in all departments during the hard hitting report.
The council- run base faces potential closure as part of an ongoing review.
O f f i c i a l s a t the Care Inspectorate criticised a string of “inconsistencies” at the Racecourse Road home.
The report, presented to councillors, said: “Appropriate communications and sharing of information relating to resident information was not always clearly understood by the staff on duty.
“This had the potential to undermine the privacy, dignity and safety of residents.
“We observed times where residents were left in areas where they had difficulty in accessing staff for support.
“This created some distress for residents when their anxiety levels were increased at being unable to have their needs met.”
The report went on: “We found evidence where residents had fallen as a result of staff not being in the vicinity of or accessible to residents at all times.”
Inspectors also pointed to a “high use of sessional staff to meet the minimum numbers as stipulated on the staffing schedule”.
They added: “Staff morale was found to be low with staff describing feeling demotivated working within the service as they felt they were repeatedly being left to undertake work that should have been undertaken by other permanent staff.”
The home’s quality of care, staffing, management and environment were all labelled “weak” following the inspection.
But GMB Union official, Paul Arkison, said: “For a significant period of time GMB Scotland Trade Union has raised the issue of staffing levels with South Ayrshire Council and it is only recently that the council has moved to rectify this.
“In contrast during the recent consultation process, the residents have had nothing but support and praise for the staff who work in South Lodge, and South Ayrshire Council has recognised this in their report to the councillors.
“The staff have had to work in the most difficult and trying circumstances while their jobs are under review and many people have commented on the fantastic service that they provide to the residents of South Lodge.”
Kenny Leinster, the council’s care chief, said: “The report highlighted that both residents and their families were happy with the services being provided by the hard working and dedicated staff at South Lodge, with no significant concerns raised.
“However, a number of recommendations were made to help realise improvements, with an action plan put in place in October last year to actively manage the situation.
“The majority of the issues identified have already been addressed and management at South Lodge will continue to work closely with the Care Inspectorate to make sure the expected standards are reached ahead of the next follow- up inspection.”