Inspectors criticise home care for 'negative culture'

The service was rated weak in four categories

Care staff in Aberdeenshire placed "restrictions on people's lives" and created a "negative culture", according to inspectors.

Real Life Options Fraserburgh - which provides home care for adults with autism and learning disabilities - was rated weak in four categories during a visit by the Care Inspectorate.

During the visit, service users and their families said residents "didn't get out if they didn't behave" and it was noted restrictions placed on people were "punitive".

A spokesperson for Real Life Options said it acknowledged the findings and was "disappointed with the grade received."

The report on the inspection - which was carried out last month - described staff as "looking for a reaction" from people and claimed they would often shout.

It was also noted staff threatened actions like removing TV controls from residents when they experienced "stress or distress."

Real Life Options was also rated weak because it "did not respond appropriately when people were at risk of harm" and for not consistently investigating unplanned events like medication errors, accidents, and incidents.

A spokesperson said: "We fully respect the Care Inspectorate's findings and will be working closely with them, the people we support, the leadership team responsible for the service, and our staff to deliver the necessary improvements.

"A detailed action plan is already under way, with immediate actions implemented to drive change and improvement.

"Our priority remains the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of the people we support, and we are committed to making the necessary changes to ensure high-quality care is consistently delivered in line with personal outcomes and the feedback we receive."