Return inspection: Progess made but improvements still needed at Oversteps Care Home, Dornoch
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A SUTHERLAND care home has made progress towards improving its service but there is still a way to go, according to care inspectors.
Oversteps Care Home, run by Crossreach, the operating name of the Social Care Council of the Church of Scotland, was initially visited by the Care Inspectorate in May this year.
Inspectors found that there was then not enough staff to meet the needs of the elderly residents - of particular concern was the lack of an activities coordinator.
The home’s leadership was deemed to be “weak” with concerns about quality assurance systems and leadership capacity.
Two inspectors made an unannounced, follow-up visit to the home on August 22-23 and their report has just been published. At the time of the follow-up visit, the home was caring for 18 residents - it has capacity for 24.
The report states that progress has been made in staffing with the regular use of agency and relief staff, but the situation remained “fragile due to the number of long-term vacancies across all departments”.
It was noted that a part-time activities coordinator was in place and was having a “positive impact on people’s experience of living in Oversteps”.
Inspectors also felt that steps had been taken to bolster the home’s leadership with temporary agency leadership support put in place. Essential staff training had been undertaken along with a training plan. But care plans for individual residents needed to be updated.
“Action had been taken to address issues raised at the May insepction”, reads the report. “For example systems for monitoring standards of infection, prevention and control (ICP) practice, medication audits and an improved service improvement plan were in place.
“There was improved oversight of people’s finances. All aspects of care were delivered with compassion, dignity and respect.”
But the report states there was insufficient progress in other areas such as analysing “adverse incidents” in order to prevent them happening again.
The follow-up report uses a six point scale - with one being unsatisfactory and six being excellent - to assess the home in a number of fields.
Oversteps was judged still to be weak (2) in its leadership , quality assurance and improvement; and adequate (3) in its staff team, staffing arrangements; care and support planning; and assessment and personal planning.
The home was rated good (4) for helping the “compassion, dignity and respect” shown to residents and for the way it helped them get the most out of life.
Inspectors have asked the home’s operators to ensure by December 21 that a sufficient number of skilled staff are in leadership roles.
