Black mould, peeling paint and dead flies have been found at a residential unit for people with mental health issues in Inverness.
Birchwood Highland Recovery Centre, located on Muirfield Lane, offers services for up to 23 adults with mental health support needs.
A recent Care Inspectorate report found several failings, rating three areas “weak”.
Inspectors, who visited in September, found black mould, peeling paint and loose flooring throughout, endangering vulnerable service users.
They found the centre’s decor to be “tired” and was “in need of redecoration and refurbishment in many areas”.
The report read: “One of the wet rooms, was in a poor state with black mould evident and the flooring lifting.
“We saw peeling paint on walls and ceilings. Within the kitchen, the extractor hood was greasy and in need of a deep clean.
“Some fluorescent light diffusers had dead flies on the inside. We noted a large hole in one of the toilet walls, which presented risks to the health of people and staff.”
Inspectors found dead flies in lights and holes behind toilets
The report also noted the presence of CCTV cameras in communal and external areas of the centre.
Inspectors said this required further attention by management as it could infringe on the service users’ right to privacy.
Criticism was also aimed at leadership, and how well the centre approached planning care for service users and the setting.
While the new manager was described as “approachable”, it appeared there was no development plan in place for staff and little evidence of auditing.
In terms of planning, inspectors found the centre disorganised and could not get a sense of each individual from their file.
The report stated: “Personal plans were not written in a person-centred way and did not fully reflect people’s rights, choices and wishes or the supports needed to achieve this.
“The recovery star was used with people as a support planning process.
“The way this tool was used and recorded appeared task-based and repetitious.”
In conclusion, the report said improvements needed to be made concerning oversight, data protection, and infection control, while the decor needed upgrading.
However, inspectors did praise the centre for its team, with service users stating they were treated with “warmth, kindness, and compassion”.
The centre now has four weeks to meet several of the requirements issued by the Care Inspectorate.
Centred, who manages the Birchwood Recovery Centre, was approached for comment.
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