A BORDERS care home has recently been issued with a letter of ‘Serious Concern’ regarding poor levels of staffing.

Peebles Nursing Home, on Tweed Green, was visited unannounced on three occasions by the Care Inspectorate, which regulates care services in Scotland, on September 17, September 29 and October 5.

According to a report published by the inspectorate on October 21, during the first visit concerns were raised over breakfast being “rushed with a lack of overview of people’s nutritional needs”.

When returning a second time, those concerns continued, with the report describing breakfast as “chaotic with little oversight of what people were eating”.

The report continued: “This could significantly impact on people who needed help to eat well.

“A letter of ‘Serious Concern’ was issued following this visit. To make sure staffing had improved, we did a final visit before concluding the inspection.”

At this final visit, staffing levels were deemed appropriate, but the inspectors said there “was very little contingency that reassured us the staffing levels could be maintained”.

READ MORE: Peebles dance school wins international prize

Therefore, the inspectors marked a requirement for the home to ensure that people “have responsive care from the right number of staff with the correct skills and qualifications”.

The report outlined a number of changes that the home needed to have made by October 14.

These included a review of staffing skills and qualifications as well as providing an outline of how service users’ care and support needs are assessed.

The report also highlighted areas for improvement for the privately-owned Peebles home.

One of these areas was to implement “procedures for the control and prevention of infection”, with a particular focus on improving how staff manage waste.

The report added: “To achieve this, the provider should make sure: staff have relevant training in the management of waste; review and evaluate waste management practices, adjusting and making improvements as necessary.”

All of the above changes will be assessed during the inspectorate’s next visit to the home.

READ MORE: Borders dad launches business inspired by lockdown struggle of working from home

The visits were carried out by inspectors from the Care Inspectorate and an advisor from NHS Borders.

Peebles Nursing Home is owned by Mansfield Care Limited and currently provides care to 31 older people.

The report published by the Care Inspectorate also included comments from people using the services offered by the home.

One service user said that “things have deteriorated over the last few months”, while another stated that “sometimes it’s difficult to find staff to help”.

Meanwhile, one relative of a service user said: “We feel increasingly frustrated at the fact that we never actually see any evidence of social input with my relative.”

But the report also featured some complimentary comments, with one service user describing carers as “nice and always very helpful”.

A different comment read: “My relative gets on very well with the staff, many of whom know them very well indeed and care for them with great affection.

“There are many excellent staff members and I think everyone works hard.”

READ MORE: Thieves steal minibuses, quads and tools in £70,000 raid on Borders College site

Mansfield Care’s chief executive officer, Andrew Hume, said all the issues had been speedily and fully resolved.

He said: “We have worked diligently with the help of Care Inspectorate, NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Health and Social Care Partnership to further improve the high quality of care at Peebles Care Home.

“The letter of concern which was issued in late September was withdrawn some six days later.

“However, following further guidance and support, we have implemented a number of reviews of our systems which have led to the introduction of additional measures to enhance the running of the home such as around PPE, and visiting arrangements.

“All the requirements have been fully addressed and we believe Borders Health Care and Social Partnership is writing to residents and their relatives to outline their satisfaction with the home.

“We believe this has been a regrettable but isolated issue and that Peebles Care Home remains a high-performing and well-managed establishment.”