Pitlair House Nursing Home
Recorded Key Question grade range: 2–4 — Weak View on Care Inspectorate
Key Question scores
Requirements & recommendations
1. By 04 May 2026, the provider must make proper provision for the health, welfare and safety of people using the service. To do this the provider must, at a minimum: a) Ensure that accurate and up to date nutritional care plans are in place and are followed. b) That weight monitoring is accurately recorded and undertaken in line with the level of risk. c) That, when required, food and fluid monitoring is recorded and evaluated in order to inform future care. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a)(b) and Regulation 4(2) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'My needs, as agreed in my personal plan, are fully met, and my wishes and choices are respected' (HSCS 1.23).
1. By 04 May 2026 , the provider must ensure that staff are recruited safely, to ensure that people using the service are kept safe. To do this, the provider should follow the ‘Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment (2023)’ guidance document. This includes, but is not limited to: Ensuring satisfactory employment references and, if necessary, character references are received prior to employees commencing work. This is to comply with Regulation 9(1) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I am confident that people who support and care for me have been appropriately and safely recruited’ (HSCS 4.24).
1. By 14 February 2026 the provider must ensure that individuals' personal plans are accurately followed, in order that their health, welfare and safety needs are managed and met. In order to do this, the provider must ensure that: a) personal plans and care records reflect a responsive and person-centred approach. b) particular attention is paid to those plans which outline care for wounds and injuries. c) the management team use their quality and audit systems to monitor and improve practices. This is in order to comply with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 Regulation 5(1) - Personal Plans and in order to ensure care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards which state that: 'My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices.' (HSCS 1.15).
2. By 14 February 2026 the provider must ensure that service users receive care that meets their health, safety and wellbeing needs and protects them from harm. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum, ensure that: a) care and support for personal hygiene is in accordance with people’s needs and wishes. b) skin health and hygiene are regularly monitored and any changes or deterioration in people’s skin are recorded and treated promptly. c) there is adequate managerial oversight of skin care and personal hygiene practice and records. This is in order to comply with regulations 4(1)(a)(Welfare of Service Users) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210); and the Health and Social Care Standard (HSCS) which states that: "I am assessed by a qualified person, who involves other people and professionals as required" (HSCS 1.13).
3. By 14 February 2026, the provider must protect the health of people living in the service by having effective oversight of clinical risk. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum, implement a system to monitor, and take any necessary action concerning, clinical risks. This is in order to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) and 4(2)(b) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is in order to ensure care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘My care and support meets my needs and is right for me.’ (HSCS 1.19).
1. By 14 March 2026, the provider must ensure that there are appropriate quality assurance systems in place to ensure that the health, safety, and wellbeing requirements of people receiving care are met, and that they experience positive outcomes. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) implement audits which enable the quality of the service to be monitored, and which identify areas for improvement. b) ensure any identified areas for improvement are addressed without delay. c) ensure there is always appropriate and effective leadership of the service. This is in order to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a), Regulation 10(2)(a), Regulation 10(2)(b) and Regulation 10(2)(d) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'I benefit from a culture of continuous improveme1. By 14 March 2026, the provider must ensure that there are, at all times, adequate numbers of skilled and competent staff on each shift to meet service users’ health, safety, and wellbeing needs. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) Gather accurate information about service users’ needs and use this to inform how many staff are required on each shift during the day and night, to ensure people’s needs are met. b) Roster and deploy staff in accordance with this assessment. c) Demonstrate an effective response to changes in service users’ needs or significant events in the care home and amend staff numbers accordingly when required. This is in order to comply with section 7 of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘My needs are met by the right number of people’ (HSCS 3.15) and ‘I am confident that people respond promptly, including2. By 14 March 2026, the provider must ensure people and staff are kept safe by ensuring staff are appropriately supported and trained. To do this the provider must, at a minimum, ensure: a) all staff receive and complete the provider's mandatory training, including refresher training when appropriate; b) supervision sessions with staff should be planned and carried out on a regular basis, with appropriate records kept of each session; c) meetings of frontline care staff should be planned on a regular basis, with appropriate records kept. This is to comply with section 8(1)(a) of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled, are able to reflect on their practice and follow their professional and organisational codes' (
1. To promote people’s nutritional health and anticipate changes to people’s support needs, the service should ensure that weight monitoring is regular and conducted in accordance with people’s plan of care. This is in order to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standard (HSCS) which states that: "I am protected from harm because people are alert and respond to signs of significant deterioration in my health and wellbeing, that I may be unhappy or may be at risk of harm." (HSCS 3.21).
2. To promote responsive care and make sure that people have the right care at the right time, the provider should ensure that care records are kept accurately and are used to determine future care. Care records should be regularly reviewed in order to identify inaccuracies and evaluate whether the care being provided meets people’s needs, wishes and outcomes. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'My personal plan (sometimes referred to as a care plan) is right for me because it sets out how my needs will be met, as well as my wishes and choices' (HSCS 1.15) and 'I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes' (HSCS 4.19).
1. To support the wellbeing of service users and staff the provider should ensure that staff practice is observed and evaluated and that actions are taken to address concerns and development needs. This should include, but is not limited to: a) Formal supervision meetings which take place in line with organisational timescales. b) Observations of practice and competency checks. This is in order to comply with Section 8 of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes’ (HSCS 4.19).
2. To support a culture of improvement, responsiveness and transparency, the provider should ensure that the Care Inspectorate are informed of accidents and incidents. This should be in accordance with the guidance given in the Care Inspectorate document ‘Adult care services: Guidance on records you must keep and notifications you must make’. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I benefit from a culture of continuous improvement, with the organisation having robust and transparent quality assurance processes’ (HSCS 4.19).
3. To support good outcomes for people the provider should ensure staff are properly inducted in a way which is appropriate to their role and their learning needs.
They should then be able to evidence how they assess competence and completion of the induction period.
This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which states that: ‘I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled’ (HSCS 3.14).