West Dunbartonshire after school club urged to implement 'safe medication procedures'

An after-school club in West Dunbartonshire has been ordered to implement “safe and effective” medication procedures for children.

The Care Inspectorate warned if changes aren’t made by Bearsden Before and After School Care, its registration will be cancelled.

The childcare service has until September 30 to implement four improvements highlighted in a report, including developing “a safe and effective medication procedure” that supports children’s individual health needs.

It must also ensure that staff working at the service are appropriately registered with the regulatory body, such as the Scottish Social Services Council.

Staff must also be trained to ensure the care and support needs of children are met.

The Care Inspectorate’s report said that failure to meet the laid out criteria may result in the body “proceeding to make a proposal to cancel registration.”

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “An inspection has identified serious and significant concerns about the quality of care experienced by children at Bearsden Before and After School Service in Glasgow.

“We understand this is a difficult and distressing time for children, their families and staff at the service.

“However, our first priority is always the health and wellbeing of children.

“Because of our concerns we have issued an Improvement Notice to the service. This sets out the significant improvements that must be made within a specified timeframe.

“We are in contact with and monitoring the service to follow up on the required improvements.”

A spokesperson from ScotNursing and Medical Services Limited said: “We are in the process of implementing a robust improvement plan to address all areas identified in the notice.

“We will formally respond to the Care Inspectorate by its September 30 deadline and are confident we can demonstrate we have met its requirements.

“The actions we have taken include the recruitment of two additional staff members who will join us at the start of term and confirmation our managerial staff are registered with the appropriate regulatory body. We are also preparing to roll out additional training and are currently reviewing and updating personal plans and procedures.

“This demonstrates our commitment to quality care provision.”