Balhousie Huntly was region's worst care home before public takeover – and in Scotland's worst 6%
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BEFORE its dramatic public takeover in April, Balhousie Care Home in Huntly was one of Scotland's worst-performing facilities – we can reveal.
Balhousie Huntly, then managed by the Balhousie Care Group, had the worst record out of 145 north of Scotland care homes according to our new rankings.
Using Care Inspectorate figures we compared homes across the region and throughout Scotland, according to: the number of complaints raised; investigated and upheld complaints; and enforcement notices.
Between April 2020 and April 2023, 27 complaints about the Huntly home were received; four enforcement notices were issued; and one complaint was investigated and upheld.
The total figure of 32 made Balhousie the worst care home across seven northern council areas: Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Aberdeen, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
Only 40 Scottish care homes had a worse record – out of 781 homes which received a complaint – putting Balhousie Huntly in the bottom six per cent of Scottish care homes.
The home's four enforcement notices was the second-highest number of any Scottish home, behind Ashwood House in Callander, Stirlingshire.
No other north of Scotland home received more than one of the sanctions.
Also, the home's total did not include three bombshell complaints which were still under investigation during the time and later upheld.
The Care Inspectorate's investigation confirmed the home's problems with: inadequate healthcare; recruitment procedures; the complaints procedure; communication between staff, residents and carers; palliative care; missing property; training and qualifications; adult protection; infection control; and facilities.
Balhousie Care Group no longer owns or operates the home, walking away amid pressure over critical inspection reports and enforcement notices – hours before the Care Inspectorate was set to ask Aberdeen Sheriff Court to revoke their registration.
Immediately after the company withdrew from the Huntly home, the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership (AHSCP) took over its operation.
At the time of the handover, the AHSCP confirmed it had not placed any service users at the home for nearly two years as a result of critical inspection reports.
A Balhousie Care Group spokesperson blamed Balhousie Huntly's poor record on "substantial local recruitment and retention challenges", claiming that "every action we took" was in the best interest of residents.
“Huntly Care Home management and ownership was transferred to the AHSCP early in the year," the spokesperson said.
"As a responsible provider of care in Scotland, we were at all times open and transparent about the specific local challenges we faced at Huntly Care Home.
"Throughout the entire period, we worked closely with the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, Care Inspectorate and other relevant authorities.
“As stated at the time management and ownership transferred, despite determined efforts and the investment of significant time and resource, we were unable to overcome substantial local recruitment and retention challenges and finally came to believe that a transfer of responsibility for the home was for the long-term benefit of everyone connected to the home and to secure the home’s future.
“Our absolute priority was, and has always been, the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents, and every action we took was in their best interests.”
In Balhousie Huntly's final inspection, on February 14, the home received the lowest-possible grade, "unsatisfactory", for the "supporting people's wellbeing" category – which includes healthcare.
It received the second-lowest grade of "weak" in every other category, with a "serious risk to the life, health or wellbeing of persons cared for by the service" sparking the Care Inspectorate's court action.
The report said: "As a result of the serious concerns identified at this inspection, the Care Inspectorate have made an application to the sheriff at Aberdeen Sheriff Court seeking cancellation of the care service's registration under Section 65 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010.
"The application is based on the Care Inspectorate's belief that in the absence of an order there will be serious risk to the life, health or wellbeing of persons cared for by the service."
A lack of visible leadership at the home, according to the inspection report: "led to staff feeling frustrated and increased risks to people because staff were not confident in their roles."
And residents experienced "a lack of respect" for their belongings including "fundamentally important" items including hearing aids.
Despite staff being "friendly and caring", some temporary staff "had a poor understanding of people's needs".
Residents were seen "wearing clothes in a poor state of repair" and some with dementia received "poor" care.
The report also found that some residents ended up "experiencing unnecessary pain", after staff failed to check how they were feeling – while some distressed residents were given medication before "trying other strategies first".
