A troubled Moray care home is to be axed given high levels of unrest amongst its residents and soaring rates of staff sickness.
Councillors are this week due to approve a £2.5million replacement for Maybank, on St Catherine’s Road in Forres.
Maybank is a converted Victorian house but the building is now deemed to have failed to provide the right environment for staff and residents.
Over 500 incidents of “challenging behaviour” have been reported since Moray Council took over the running of the centre in April 2012 with staff sickness hours rising “sixfold”.
The seven-bedroom property was formerly a nursing home for the elderly until it was converted into a live-in care unit for people with severe learning disabilities.
It is currently home to four people.
A damning report on Maybank is to go before a full council meeting on Wednesday,
Lorraine Paisey, principal accountant at Moray Council, said in her report to members that the unsuitability of the home has led to severe stress to both carers and residents.
She added: “The layout of the building, the lack of privacy for service users, the noise, lighting and temperature levels can all influence challenging behaviour in the service users.
“The building is actually exacerbating their challenging behaviours. The narrow corridors hinder safe handling procedures and can be a safety hazard for staff.”
Incident rates in purpose-built accommodation for clients with similar support needs average about four-per-month compared to an average of 42-per-month at Maybank, the report said.
The document adds that a new, autism-friendly environment would accommodate up to seven residents, greatly improving their quality of life and saving an estimated £90,000-per-person in annual running costs.
Local councillors said last night they are very much aware of the inefficiencies at Maybank.
Forres councillor George Alexander said: “The council tried to convert Maybank, and they have had to admit that didn’t work. When Councillor Lorna Creswell and I visited it, it was little wonder we can’t keep staff in it because the job is just impossible in that building.”
Elgin councillor Patsy Gowans, a former carer, added: “It’s not suitable for clients and it’s not suitable for the staff. People often forget about the staff in situations like this, but to invest in the clients, you have to invest in the staff.”
The new care home plans will be subject to a new public consultation, if councillors approve the funds.