Inspectors say Larbert care home must improve its performance

Caledonian Court Care Home, in Victoria Street, Larbert, is a purpose built care home for up to 72 older people and is operated by Care UK.

At the time of the Care Inspectorate’s unannounced inspection, carried out on August 31 and September 1, there were 49 people living in the home.

The care home’s performance was classed as “good” when it came to enabling residents to experience compassion, dignity and respect and helping them get the most out of life, but the level of care and support staff provided during the COVID-19 pandemic was found to be weak by inspectors.

The report stated: “We found the performance of the service in relation to infection control practices to support a safe and clean environment to be weak. This meant there were important weaknesses in practice which had the potential to lead to poor outcomes for people.

“Equipment and furnishings in people's bedrooms and en-suites was at times soiled or so worn that effective cleaning was not possible. This could contribute to the spread of infection. Cleaning schedules were in place and for the most part were well completed. However, quality assurance systems needed to improve to

ensure that cleaning was being completed to the correct standard.

“Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was readily available and was stored and disposed of appropriately. Staff wore PPE correctly and there was ample alcohol hand rub throughout the home.

"Staff had completed training in infection prevention and control and COVID-19 and spoke knowledgeably about how to safely support people.”

By September 30, Caledonian Court Care Home must put a number of requirements in place regarding issues identified in the inspection.

These included implementing daily quality assurance of staff practice to ensure effective infection prevention and control and carry out an environmental audit and plan of works to ensure furnishings and equipment are in a good state of repair to allow for effective cleaning.

The care home was assessed as adequate when it came to supporting residents’ well being.

Inspectors stated: “There were strengths which just outweighed weaknesses. We saw good practice where people were experiencing dignity, compassion, and respect, and getting the most out of life.

"However, we had concerns around people's health benefiting from their care and support. The likelihood of people achieving positive experiences and outcomes was reduced because key areas of performance needed to improve.

"Food options were nutritious and well presented. Although there were enough staff on duty in the home, some areas appeared short staffed at certain times

of the day, while other areas retained good staffing levels.

"Staff were not always responsive to changes in people's health needs which had resulted in people waiting too long for the correct equipment to be sourced to meet their needs. We were also concerned health interventions were being delivered by staff who were not appropriately trained."

The Care Inspectorate stated the care home had to develop systems to ensure any changes to people’s health needs are quickly reflected in their care planning and risk assessments and cascaded to all staff.

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