Significant weaknesses have been identified at a care at home service that operates in Ayr.
Inspired Independent Living Support Service, based in the town’s Racecourse View, was graded ‘weak’ across four quality indicators.
The gradings come from the Care Inspectorate who ran the rule over the service last month with the findings now made public.
Among the key messages the Care Inspectorate said staff were “kind and compassionate” in their interactions with the people they supported.
However, policies and procedures for the management of people’s money “required improvement,” said the care scrutiny body.
And quality assurance processes, including self evaluation and improvement plans “required to improve” too.
And although each person supported had their own dedicated staff team, staff training was “inadequate” and “required to improve.”
Another criticism was levelled at service users’ personal plans which required to be “more person centred” with people supported and their relatives “involved” in developing these.
Inspired Independent Living is registered to provide a care at home service. The provider is West Park Supported Living LLP.
The service operates from an office base in Ayr. The aim of the service is to enable individuals to secure and maintain their own tenancy and as such, become a “complete and valued member” of their local community.
At the time of the inspection there were three people receiving support from the service.
An extract from the Care Inspectorate report said: “Whilst we identified some strengths, these were compromised by significant weaknesses. As these weaknesses concerned the health and welfare of people, we made requirements for improvement.”
The report goes on: “We reviewed people’s medication and found medication systems were in place which included as required protocols. People were receiving their medication as they should, and medication administration records were completed appropriately. However, they were not regularly reviewed or audited.”
Some people supported were able to take part in activities within and outwith their home, meaning they were able to make and maintain “positive relationships” with other people and be included within their local community.
However, this was “not the case for everyone,” according to the Care Inspectorate.
Their report states: “One person supported was socially isolated in their home, despite staff encouragement to go out and take part in activities. This in the long term could have a detrimental impact on the person’s wellbeing. Further interventions should be explored to support the person without causing stress and distress to improve their quality of life.”
In the quality indicators relating to supporting people’s wellbeing, leadership, staff team and planned care and support, the service was graded ‘weak’ overall.
The Care Inspectorate has given the service two deadlines, one in January and the other in March, in order to fulfil some areas of improvement to service delivery.