Ashgill Care Home
Recorded Key Question grade range: 3–4 — Adequate View on Care Inspectorate
Key Question scores
Requirements & recommendations
1. By 19 June 2026, to ensure effective regulatory oversight, the provider must ensure that all notifiable events are timeously reported to the Care Inspectorate. To do this the provider must at a minimum: a) notify the Care Inspectorate of all events in line with the relevant guidance document and regulatory requirements. This is to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) 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 protected from harm, neglect, abuse, bullying and exploitation by people who have a clear understanding of their responsibilities". (HSCS 3.21).
2. By 19 June 2026, the provider must ensure that environmental risks are identified and addressed promptly and that the environment is safe and well maintained. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) Ensure regular, documented environmental checks are completed across all areas of the home, including communal spaces, bathrooms and people’s bedrooms. b) Identify, record and act promptly on hazards such as damaged furniture, unsecured fixtures and poor condition furnishings. c) Ensure furniture and fixtures are appropriately secured to reduce the risk of injury. d) Maintain clear records of identified issues, actions taken and timescales for completion. e) Ensure equipment not belonging to individuals is removed from personal spaces to protect dignity and maintain a homely environment. f) Ensure effective management oversight of environmental safety checks, including regular review of findings, actions, and completion status to provide assurance that risks are bein
1. The provider should strengthen arrangements for monitoring fluid intake by ensuring there is a clear and consistent process for escalation and review when targets are not being met and ensuring staff understand their roles and responsibilities within this process. This is 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).
2. The provider should ensure there is sufficient choice of meals and snacks for people who require a textured diet, so that food provision is person centred, nutritionally appropriate, and supports enjoyment, dignity and choice. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "I can choose suitably presented and healthy meals and snacks, including fresh fruit and vegetables, and participate in menu planning" (HSCS 1.33) and "My meals and snacks meet my cultural and dietary needs, beliefs and preferences". (HSCS 1.37).
3. The provider should improve the system for managing returned medication to ensure it is stored and recorded in accordance with good practice, with a clear and auditable trail to support safe medication management and effective oversight. This is to ensure care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: "I use a service and organisation that are well led and managed. (HSCS 4.23).
1. To strengthen management oversight and accountability, the provider should ensure that all monitoring trackers used to oversee key activities are kept fully up to date, providing assurance that required tasks are completed accurately and in a timely manner. 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. The provider should improve how accidents and incidents are collated and reviewed by developing a more detailed and systematic overview. This will help analyse trends, strengthen risk based decision making, and provide clearer evidence that learning and preventative actions are being embedded into practice. 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).
1. By 5th September 2025, to promote the safety and wellbeing of residents, the provider must demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that environmental improvements are carried out in a timely manner. To do this the provider must at a minimum: a) Identify improvements that pose a risk to people's health and prioritise these. b) Reduce the odours from floor coverings. c) Ensure that cosmetic improvements are being carried out to a high standard. d) Bring the garden back into use for residents to have access to outdoor space. e) Submit a revised detailed environmental improvement plan to the Care Inspectorate with dates for completing improvement priorities taking account of the above actions. This is to comply with Regulation 4 (1)(a) (Welfare of users) of the Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210).
1. To support people to make a choice at mealtimes, the manager should ensure that people are offered visual meal options from which they can choose what they would like to eat. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards which state that: 'I can choose suitably presented and healthy meals and snacks, including fresh fruit and vegetables, and participate in menu planning.' (HSCS 1.33)
1. The manager should evidence the desired and actual impact on outcomes for people from both planned and completed improvements identified in the service improvement plan. 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. The manager should ensure that all staff recruitment is aligned to safer staffing principles. 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) This is to ensure staff skills and knowledge is consistent with the joint SSSC and Care Inspectorate guidance document, Safer Recruitment Through Better Recruitment (September 2023).
1. To ensure staffing levels are sufficient to meet the needs of people living in the service, the provider should: a) Demonstrate they have taken into account further considerations in addition to their chosen assessment tool in relation to all non-direct care duties of staff when calculating staffing levels. b) Demonstrate that they have sought the views of people living in the service, their relatives and staff in relation to staffing levels. c) Demonstrate that this information is used to ensure there are enough staff on duty at all times to meet the needs of people living in the service. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: “My needs are met by the right number of people” (HSCS 3.15) and “My care and support meets my needs and is right for me”. (HSCS 1.19)
1. To support improvements within the home the manager should arrange to visit other care homes within the best practice group to look at how they have created a dementia informed environment. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: 'The premises have been adapted, equipped and furnished to meet my needs and wishes'. (HSCS 5.16)
1. To ensure that personal plans support good outcomes for people, the management team should continue the process of reviewing and improving the quality of information in both the remaining personal plans and in all plans on an ongoing basis. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the 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)
Conditions of registration
To provide a care service to a maximum of 60 older people over the age of 65 years.
Within the maximum of 60 older people to provide a care service to six named individuals under 65 years as agreed through a variation request concluded on 8 December 2025 .