Support service progress following scathing report

Inspectors have declared that a Perthbased support service for people with autism has made “good progress” in meeting a number of requirements that were made when the service was graded as “weak” six months ago.

The PA reported earlier this year that Autism Initiatives UK’s housing support service in Perth had been criticised by the Care Inspectorate following an unannounced inspection in June which found the service had made a “number of medication errors”.

A report published by the Care Inspectorate in July also revealed that Perth and Kinross Council had to conduct its own investigation into the same “errors” back in April this year which highlighted “a number of concerns” about the service.

The Care Inspectorate said at the time the service would have to “improve its medicine management” within four weeks.

It also made a second requirement that the service ensure its personal support plans were reviewed with each service user and their relatives or carers every six months after they were “unable to confirm” that this had been happening.

In its latest report on the service to “follow-up” on those requirements, however, the Care Inspectorate has said the first was met “outwith timescales” and that some progress has been made on the second.

On the first requirement, the report said: “Medication files had been reviewed and new documentation introduced.

“Information about each medication was available within individual files and there were clear protocols for the use of medication prescribed ‘as required’. All staff who administered medication had received organisational training.”

On the second requirement, the report went on: “A spreadsheet had been created to capture information about reviews, when the last review had been completed and when the next one should be planned.

“The spreadsheet provided the opportunity to record important information about the review or highlight any problems or delays in arranging reviews.”