Care at Home and Enablement Service Inverness
Recorded Key Question grade range: 3–4 — Adequate View on Care Inspectorate
Key Question scores
Requirements & recommendations
1. By 1 September 2026, NHS Highland as the provider must ensure that the management team is supported by effective governance in sustaining and embedding continuous improvement, underpinned by established quality assurance processes and best practice. To do this, NHS Highland must, as a minimum: a) Ensure the service manager and management team have the resources and additional capacity to oversee, sustain and embed improvement. b) Ensure the service manager has access to detailed and meaningful information about complaints, so they can evidence how learning from these supports improvement. This is to comply with Regulations 3 and 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 experience high2. By 1 September 2026, NHS Highland as the provider must ensure that their leadership is having a positive impact on managers and staff who are well led and supported within their role. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) Ensure a meaningful and collaborative approach with managers and staff in planning and delivering people’s care and support. This includes ensuring clear communication about any rationale for change that is based on a clear understanding of the needs of a care at home service within a community setting. b) Ensuring effective decisions are made about staffing and resources based on the expressed needs of the service. c) Demonstrating an understanding that staff at all levels have an important role to play in delivering high quality care and support. This includes valuing staff expertise within their roles. This is to comply with Regulation 3 and 4(1)(a) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements f1. By 1 September 2026, the provider must ensure people’s safety and wellbeing by ensuring consistency in meeting their individual care and support needs. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) Ensure that the current person-centred plans are sustained, updated and agreed by people using the service. b) Ensure there are systems and processes in place to move new people as appropriate onto the person-centred plans. This ensures all people receive a consistent service. This is in order to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) and 5(1)(b) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure 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 choi2. By 1 September 2026, NHS Highland as the provider must ensure staff receive the appropriate support and resources to deliver all appropriate models of care within the service. To do this, NHS Highland must, as a minimum: a) Ensure staff have all the necessary information, including assessments of risk and detailed information about people’s health and social care needs. b) Ensure staff are prepared, trained, confident and skilled in delivering all models of care, based on best practice guidance. This is in order to comply with section 7(1)(a) and 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 am in the right place to experience the care and support that I need and want’ (HSCS 1.20);
1. To ensure people experience high quality care and support that is right for them, people’s topical medicine administration recordings should accurately reflect their needs. This should include but is not limited to: a) consistent and accurate recording, including body maps b) details for frequency of application and clear directions on how the topical medication is to be applied. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘My care and support meet my needs and is right for me’ (HSCS 1.19); and ‘Any treatment or intervention that I experience is safe and effective’ (HSCS 1.24).
1. To ensure people have confidence in the people who support and care for them, staffing arrangements should be reviewed. This includes but is not limited to, ensuring consistency of staffing as much as possible. This is in order to comply with section 7(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: ‘My needs are met by the right number of people’ (HSCS 3.15); and ‘I know who provides my care and support on a day to day basis and what they are expected to do. If possible, I can have a say on who provides my care and support’ (HSCS 3.11).
1. To ensure people have confidence in the people who support and care for them, the additional training needs for staff should be reviewed. This should include but is not limited to: a) awareness of mental health conditions and establishing clear protocols to support staff and ensure people’s wellbeing b) reviewing staff that need refresher training for specific support such as, catheter and skin care. This is in order 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' (HSCS 3.14).
2. To ensure people experience high quality care and support that is right for them, staff should have time and capacity to review support plans. This should include but is not limited to, any relevant updates to information. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS), which state that: ‘I am supported and cared for sensitively by people who anticipate issues and are aware of and plan for any known vulnerability or frailty’ (HSCS 3.18); and ‘I experience stability in my care and support from people who know my needs, choices and wishes, even if there are changes in the service or organisation’ (HSCS 4.15).
1. By 30 November 2025, to promote staff support, competence and professional development, the provider must ensure staff receive regular and effective supervision. To do this the provider must at a minimum: a) Ensure staff supervision is held in line with organisational guidelines and best practice to promote individual learning and identify and review staff training needs. This includes person-specific moving and assisting training. b) Ensure staff benefit from practice observations with detailed feedback to support their continuous learning and professional development. c) Ensure staff have sufficient time in scheduled visits to access accurate and up to date information about people’s care and support needs. This is in order 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 ens1. By 30 November 2025, the provider must ensure people’s safety and wellbeing by meeting their individual care and support needs. To do this, the provider must, at a minimum: a) Ensure a holistic, person-centred plan is developed which is detailed, specific for the person’s health conditions and reflects their individual outcomes and wishes. b) Ensure the plan has been assessed by relevant professionals with detailed risk assessments and reviewed as the person’s needs change. c) Ensure staff are trained in anything specific to the person and that communication between staff is accurate, prompt, updated and shared appropriately. This is in order to comply with Regulation 4(1)(a) and 5(1)(b) of The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210). This is to ensure care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that:
1. To ensure people are fully involved in decisions about their care and support, the provider should ensure that communication in the service is improved so that information about changes to staffing and support arrangements is provided to people or their representative, as needed. This should include but is not limited to, discussions about the consistency of support with people and staff. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which states that: ‘I know who provides my care and support on a day-to-day basis and what they are expected to do. If possible, I can have a say on who provides my care and support’ (HSCS 3.11); and ‘If I need or want to move on and start using another service, I will be fully involved in this decision and properly supported throughout this change’ (HSCS 2.20).
2. To ensure people experience high quality care and support that is right for them, the provider should ensure that a clear protocol is in place for ‘as needed’ medication, as necessary to the level of support provided. This should include but is not limited to, recording the outcomes of the medication and reviewing these regularly to ensure they are being effective in achieving the desired health outcome. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which states that: ’Any treatment or intervention that I experience is safe and effective’ (HSCS 1.24).
1. To ensure people have confidence in the organisation providing their care and support, the provider should ensure that the service improvement plan continues to be reviewed and updated. This should include but is not limited to: a) Evidence of self-evaluation that encourages and includes people using the service, their families, staff, and other professionals to provide feedback. b) Implementing and embedding service audits to monitor the effectiveness of improvements and evaluate performance. This should include auditing the quality of medication support, care plans, reviews, staff supervisions and staff training. c) Notifications submitted to the Care Inspectorate promptly and as appropriate. This is to ensure that care and support is consistent with Health and Social Care Standards (HSCS) which state that: ‘I experience high quality care and support based on relevant evidence, guidance and
Conditions of registration
Any other conditions unique to the service:
1. To provide a support service - care at home to people living in their own homes.
2. The support will be provided by 2 staff teams to the Inverness area.
3. The provider shall inform service users and their representatives that the care service is registered with the Care Inspectorate and shall ensure that they are made aware of the name of the registered service with its contact details, as it appears on this certificate.