Skye care home staffing is ‘severely inadequate’, inspectors find

Home Farm was also rated “weak” in three other areas including for its staff team.

Some staff were found to be “committed to providing good care and were working hard to meet people’s needs despite challenging circumstances”.

But the service was found to be heavily reliant on agency and bank staff to cover shifts, which meant staffing could be “inconsistent and unpredictable”.

Staff were often working excessive hours to cover vacancies and absences and were left feeling “exhausted” because they were having to skip breaks to support residents.

Inspectors identified occasions when staffing numbers were “severely inadequate” and people could not be supported safely.

Inspectors also said they saw moving and assisting equipment not being used properly while staffing pressures meant that residents could not always be supported to join in with activities.

Lack of staff also meant that deep cleans of people’s rooms were not being undertaken and routine maintenance checks and repairs had not been done.

Some rooms designed for residents were inappropriately being used as staff accommodation.

NHS Highland has been given until 1 August to make a series of improvements.

An NHS Highland spokesperson said: “We want to reassure people that we have taken this situation seriously and immediately implemented an improvement plan to address the issues raised to ensure we meet the recommendations of the Care Inspectorate.

“This included additional experienced staffing, leadership support and a review of the physical environment to ensure safe and consistent care is maintained.

“We are in direct contact with residents, their families and staff and are fully committed to making the necessary improvements as quickly as possible.”