Investigation into Newton House care home East Renfrewshire

On all other categories it was ranked adequate - meaning that "strengths only just outweighed weaknesses".

Inspectors, who visited the premises unannounced over four days March, found that the service had "experienced instability in its management" since the beginning of the year, with a new interim management team in place at the time of the visit.

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This "lack of visible and effective leadership" was associated with a "significant" turnover of staff, "low" workforce morale, and a "declining pool of experienced workers" as posts were increasingly filled by agency staff.

At the time the home was accommodating 62 residents, including people with dementia.

While their report praised the kindness and commitment of staff in face of these difficulties, it warned that there was "a risk of poor outcomes for people if this was not urgently addressed".

It said that the provider, London-based Hamberley Care 1 Ltd - also known as Hamberley Care Homes - had reassured inspectors that recruitment had been completed for senior management positions.

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Inspectors also noted that "notifiable events" - safety incidents or accidents such as falls - were "not always communicated to the appropriate agencies within agreed timescales", and that residents' time was "largely spent watching television or relaxing in their bedrooms".

They added: "This prolonged lack of activity presented a risk to people's physical and mental wellbeing."

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The LSI, which is ongoing, is understood to have been launched by East Renfrewshire council in April as a result of the issues flagged by inspectors in addition to "concerns noted" by health and social care partnership (HSCP) staff, who are now leading the probe.

Councils are expected to trigger LSIs "where circumstances indicate there may be one or more residents at risk of harm within a care setting".

This can relate to a "report of harm regarding an individual resident" which may affect other residents, or "systematic issues which impact on the quality of care".

Guidelines state that the "risk of serious harm" may have "arisen during a short time frame, or have accumulated over a longer period" and can cover a wide range of issues, ranging from neglect, exploitation or degrading treatment to instances of physical, sexual, psychological or financial abuse.

The care home's website states that it offers "exceptional residential, nursing, dementia and respite care within a luxury environment", with fees starting from £1,049 per week.

The 113-bed, purpose-built home - which has been owned and run by Hamberley since being registered in May 2019 - has landscaped gardens, a bowling green, cinema, and beauty salon providing haircuts, manicures, and pedicures.

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However, this is not the first time the alarm has been raised over its safety.

The Care Inspectorate previously ordered the provider to make improvements by January 31 2022 or face having the home's registration cancelled after it racked up five section 62 notices in the space of 16 months.

Section 62 improvement notices are issued where there is a serious breach of regulations or conditions of registration that is leading to “poor outcomes for service users”.

One woman, whose 90-year-old mother-in-law was a resident, previously told the Herald she had lodged a complaint after a tablet used by the family to keep in touch via videolink during the pandemic was confiscated by managers who considered it a breach of staff privacy.

The purpose-built premises in Newton Mearns, which opened in 2019, can accommodate up to 113 residents (Image: Gordon Terris/Herald&Times)

The woman voiced concerns that her mother-in-law, who had mild dementia, appeared "unkempt" during videocalls and was observed "rolling in agony on the bed" on one occasion due to a leg ulcer that had deteriorated.

The LSI comes amid widespread social care staff shortages and warnings of an exodus unless action is taken to close the widening pay gap between carers and NHS staff.

A spokesman for East Renfrewshire HSCP said: "We can confirm following a recent inspection completed by the Care Inspectorate and concerns noted by HSCP staff, a Large Scale Investigation (LSI) is under way regarding the quality of care at Newton House Care Home.

"The safety and wellbeing of residents is our top priority, and we have provided a comprehensive package of clinical and safeguarding support to the care home to drive improvements and ensure the safety of residents while the investigation takes place."

A spokeswoman for the Care Inspectorate said it had recently conducted a follow-up inspection at Newton House "and will publish our findings in due course".

She added: “Everyone in Scotland has the right to good quality, safe care which meets their needs and respects their rights.

“Anyone with a concern about a service can contact us on 0345 600 9527.”

A spokesman for Newton House Care Home said: "The safety and wellbeing of all resident is our priority, and our dedicated team strive to deliver the very highest quality personalised care at Newton House. 

"However, we can confirm that the home is now the subject of a Large Scale Investigation (LSI), led by East Renfrewshire HSCP.

"This process will be an opportunity for us to review all aspects of the operations at the home, to ensure that they are fully fit for purpose, and that they are delivering the best for our residents. 

"We are committed to working in close partnership with East Renfrewshire, the Care Inspectorate, and other relevant stakeholders in the weeks ahead as we undergo this process."