Western Isles care home handed third deadline to meet improvement orders set almost a year ago

Leverburgh Care Home has been given a third deadline to meet service improvement requirements, first set by inspectors almost a year ago.

The Care Inspectorate carried out an unannounced follow-up inspection of the Ferry Road facility on January 19 and 20, finding that two requirements first made during inspections in February and April 2025 had still not been met.

The care home, operated by the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, provides residential care for up to 15 older people and was initially given deadlines of April and May 2025. These were extended to July 2025 and have now been extended again to March 23, 2026.

However, the inspection also found that some progress had been made. People living in the care home and their families were positive about the staff and care provided, staff recruitment had been successful, and improvements had been made with medication procedures and protocols.

The outstanding requirements relate to health-based assessments and personal plans.

On health-based assessments, inspectors found support planning was “person-centred” but recording of information was “at times inconsistent”. People had assessments in place, but some recorded information was inaccurate, meaning follow-up actions to address risks to residents’ health were not being undertaken.

On personal plans, a planned schedule of audits was in place but had not been fully implemented, and six-monthly reviews for some residents were found by inspectors to be overdue.

Two of four areas for service improvement were also not met, relating to quality assurance audits and documentation of staffing levels. Two others, covering medication protocols and staff competency checks, were met but outside the original timescales.

Leverburgh Care Home has been approached for comment.