Care home for children graded 'good' despite flaws in medication storage and records

The Care Inspectorate said young people living at the home were “safe,” they experienced “nurturing compassionate care,” and relationships between staff and the young people was a “key strength”
The Care Inspectorate said young people living at the home were “safe,” they experienced “nurturing compassionate care,” and relationships between staff and the young people was a “key strength” -Credit:BPM


A care home for young people was placed under the microscope during an unannounced spot check into the service it provides.

Highview Care Home Service, based at Over Glaisnock, Cumnock, was graded as ‘good’ across one quality indicator and ‘very good’ across another by the Care Inspectorate. However, the care scrutiny body discovered that medical records and recordings were “inaccurate” and some medication was “not stored appropriately.”

In addition, errors in records “had not been reported.” Despite the flaws, the Care Inspectorate said young people living at the home were “safe,” they experienced “nurturing compassionate care,” and relationships between staff and the young people was a “key strength.”

It was also noted that young people’s individual interests and life skills were “promoted,” they had the opportunity to see people that were “important to them” and the manager and staff were focused on “promoting and upholding young people’s rights.”

Highview's care service is provided by Pebbles Care Group.

An extract from the Care Inspectorate report said: “The safety of the young people was a priority for the team. Young people told us they felt safe. Staff collaborated with all relevant partner agencies to dynamically assess changing risk for a young person who had been in crisis over a prolonged period.”

The report goes on: “We saw warm, trusting relationships between young people and staff, this was an area of strength. Staff were trauma informed and fully understood the impact of the lived experiences of the young people and how this was manifested in behaviours. The team supported young people with compassion, humour and a sense of fun. The young people experienced important levels of respect from all those involved in their care. This was reflected in the high quality of the home environment.”

In the quality indicator relating to supporting children and young people’s rights and wellbeing, the setting was graded ‘good.’ And the quality indicator relating to the leaders and staff having the capacity and resources to “meet and champion” children and young people’s needs and rights, the service was graded ‘very good.’

One area of improvement related to the recording of medical records.

The report said: “To keep young people safe and promote their wellbeing the provider should improve recording of medical records to ensure that they are accurate and consistent. Medication should be stored in the correct packaging. Management should be advised of any errors to ensure these are reviewed. This should include but is not limited to training in the management and recording of medical information.”

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