Almond Blossom Care
Recorded Key Question grade range: 3 — Adequate View on Care Inspectorate
Key Question scores
Requirements & recommendations
1. The manager should further strengthen quality assurance measures by ensuring consistent and sustained oversight of the standard of individuals’ care plans. This includes implementing robust quality control processes to maintain accuracy, person-centred detail, and alignment with people’s agreed care needs. A structured approach to self-evaluation should also be embedded, closely reflecting the principles of the inspection methodology framework. This will support continuous improvement and accountability across the service. This is to ensure the care and support is consistent with the Health and Social Care Standards 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. The manager should prioritise the enhancement of the remaining care plans, to ensure they comprehensively reflect each individual's agreed care needs. This includes embedding clear, practical guidance for staff to follow, promoting consistency and person-centred care across the service. Care plans should be regularly reviewed and updated in collaboration with individuals and their families, ensuring they remain accurate and responsive to changing needs. This is to ensure the 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).
1. By 18 August 2025, the provider must ensure people have confidence that they will receive their medication as prescribed by appropriately competent and skilled staff. The provider must improve procedures to ensure that medication is managed and administered safely. In order to achieve this, the provider must ensure: a) All staff who administer medications are trained in line with Care Inspectorate guidance, ‘Review of medicine management procedures: Guidance for care at home services (2017)’, and are able to distinguish the different levels of support service users require. b) All service users being supported with medication must have a detailed risk assessment, to identify the appropriate level of support required; i.e. prompt, assist, administer. If already in place, this must be reviewed. c) 'As required' medication protocols detail the circumstances when this will be administered, and are cross referenced to information held within personal plans on stress and distress, healt2. By 18 August 2025, the provider must improve the approach to skin care and tissue viability. In order to do this, the provider must ensure: a) Staff are trained in how to support people with management of their skin integrity; b) Staff are deemed competent to manage people's skin care in line with best practice and know what actions to take if a person’s skin care deteriorates; c) Improve care plan documentation to ensure that a clear, complete, and accurate record of skin care is kept; d) Regular audits of people’s skin integrity is undertaken and appropriate actions taken. e) Demonstrate that staff will contact a General Practitioner (GP) or other relevant healthcare team member, when people who use the service require treatment or their condition is not improving. 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 also to ensu1. By 14 July 2025, the provider must ensure people have confidence that the service they use is led well and managed effectively. To do this, the provider must ensure at a minimum: a) The management have effective oversight of the day-to-day delivery of care to service users, to ensure their care needs are fully met. b) The management have a visible presence within the service and engage with service users, relatives and staff to support the development of management oversight required. c) The management engage in a meaningful way with service users and staff about the quality of the service and take action, to address improvements identified, to ensure improved outcomes for service users. d) Fully utilise quality assurance systems to drive forward improvements. e) Ensure systems and processes are fully accessible to the staff team. f) Accidents, incidents and complaints received are fully recorded, responded to and fully investigated and records are maintained to evidence this in1. By 14 July 2025, the provider must improve staff recruitment practices within the service to the standard detailed in the SSSC and Care Inspectorate guidance, ‘Safer Recruitment through Better Recruitment (2017)’. In order to achieve this you must ensure: a) Recruitment records are in place for all staff and all staff have outstanding pre-employment checks, submitted to Disclosure Scotland in line with the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. b) Obtain two references in place for each staff member recruited, one of which, where possible, from their previous employer. c) Where there are clear gaps in peoples work history a reason for this should be obtained. d) There are robust recordings, shortlisting, interviewing and assessing of staff to make certain they have the correct knowledge and skills to support people. e) Those responsible for undertaking safer recruitment are skilled and competent in their role. This is in order to comply with The1. By 14 July 2025, the provider must ensure that 65% of people’s personal planning reflects people’s outcomes and wishes, which contain current, clear and meaningful information. To do this, the provider must at a minimum ensure: a) Personal plans record all risk, health, welfare and safety needs in a coherent manner which identifies how needs are met. b) Ensure that planned support is fully implemented when people have specific health needs including communication, pain, falls, moving and handling; c) Care plans provide information to lead and guide staff on meeting people’s care needs, which are personalised, descriptive and detail their choices, wishes, decision making and promote levels of independence where appropriate. d) Implement future care planning to reflect service user’s plans regarding end of life care and their wishes. e) Care plans are reviewed on a regular basis, to ensure they are accurate and consistent to the identified care needs assessed.