FOURTEEN Scottish care homes required five inspection visits during the pandemic before they were deemed ‘adequately’ safe for residents, a damning report found.

The extent to which some homes failed to improve infection control or it actually worsened as knowledge about thhe virus increased has been described as ‘concerning’.

Campaign group Care Home Relatives Scotland (CHRS) which compiled the report, said it was understandable that homes might have struggled with new protocols during the early stages of the pandemic but said it was ‘unacceptable’ that this was continuing more than a year later.

READ MORE: New data reveals care homes which recorded the highest and lowest number of Covid cases 

Inspections did not resume until May 4 2020 and were changed to focus on infection control with the wellbeing of residents also taken into consideration.

A total of 18 homes with 921 residents required three visits from inspectors before they were categorised as ‘adequate’ and further safety checks were not required.

Four homes with 132 residents were either de-registered after the first follow-up visit or or an application was taken forward.

The Herald:

“While proportionally, the numbers are small, it is unacceptable that up to 132 residents were living in care homes where conditions were such that an application for de-registration was considered at the first follow up visit.”

While 137 care homes did reach a good enough level of performance in the first inspection visit, the report found that very few of the remaining care homes improved beyond an ‘Adequate’ grade, even after numerous inspection visits and there appeared to be little incentive for them to do so.  

READ MORE: Covid death rates were six times higher in larger care homes 

CHRS said adequate was “not good enough” for the most vulnerable members of society.

In the latest round of inspections, laid before parliament last week, a number of homes were rated weak in all categories including Cowdray Club in Aberdeen, which is run by Renaissance Care and The Alford Service.

The report described the use of previous grades and intelligence to identify high risk care homes as “flawed”, particularly at a time when there was a ban on family ‘advocates’.

“Our research has shown that even those previously graded as Good or Better than ‘Good’ can fall into lower grades within as little as six months.”

A total of 172 (53.3%) of care homes were evaluated as Grade 3 (Adequate) in their latest visit, with 68% rated less than ‘good’.

The report said the “pain and suffering” of residents could have been reduced if family members had they been permitted to have regular access to their relatives in their own rooms, throughout the pandemic.

READ MORE: Hancock: Scottish care homes had 'same issues' to deal with 

Few relatives were aware of their right to essential visits due to “a lack of communication from the Scottish Government or the Care Inspectorate”.

Many relatives simply accepted “poor practice” including being limited to 30-minute distanced visits.

The information issued by care homes was often "their own version of the guidance and many relatives did not know where to go for help”.

CHRS said that at the very least every care home resident should be entitled to have meaningful contact with one nominated person, despite any type of lockdown the care home experiences.

A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: “”Care providers should support meaningful contact through visiting which includes enabling privacy for in-person visits. 

“Meaningful contact should also be included in individual care plans, with clear strategies in place to enable staff to provide the right support to people as required.”