Children's home staff 'overwhelmed' by challenging behaviour
- Published
Staff at a children's care home near Inverness have described dealing with "crisis after crisis".
A Care Inspectorate report found some staff at the Northern Lights home felt "overwhelmed" by the challenges presented by some young residents.
Due to the complex needs of some of the young people, the overall service was considered adequate.
It was recommended that stronger management be put into place and other changes made immediately.
The care home in Scaniport on the outskirts of Inverness is provided by Barnardo's Scotland, in partnership with the Highland Council.
It offers accommodation to young people aged between nine to 17-years, some of whom have "complex needs."
'I don't feel safe'
The report said inspectors found staff visibly upset, having to deal with young people taking illegal substances, consuming alcohol and leaving the premises.
In the past police have been called to assist the staff when they were unable to cope with the bad behaviour of some of their charges.
The inspectors, however, found the staff interacted well with young people, describing them as "caring and nurturing."
One member of staff said: "We are not a secure unit and we can't lock the doors to stop young people leaving if they are determined to go.
"We try to persuade young people to do something else but the pull in the community is so strong they don't listen.
"We get really upset when we have to call the police for assistance, but we have no choice."
One young resident told the inspectors: "I liked this place when I first came here but now that's changed. I don't feel safe here anymore."
New management
The home opened in June 2011 and was rated as "excellent" during previous inspections, but over the past 12 months it has faced difficulties.
The report suggested that a more thorough assessment of the residents should be carried out prior to accommodation.
A Barnardo's Scotland spokesperson said: "As the report acknowledges Barnardo's Scotland has already taken on board the findings of the Care Inspectorate.
"The service now has a new management team in place and is working on a new service delivery plan. The charity is working closely with Highland Council to address the issues in the report and bring the service back to its previous standard."