A CHARITY that works with children in Fife has been told it must improve or face closure after “significant and serious” concerns were raised in an inspection report.
Touch Trust, which provides day care for children from St Margaret’s Parish Church in Abel Place, Dunfermline, has been warned by the national watchdog that unless significant improvements are made by July 18, it faces being closed down.
The Care Inspectorate’s improvement notice cites five areas with issues, including staff deployment, staff training, use of transport, environmental risk, and rules around medication.
It comes after the charity launched the Touch Trust Kids Club on October 21 last year, after it replaced the Garvock after-school club, which closed in August.
Members of the City of Dunfermline area committee gave £14,654 to establish the service after the trust said it would step up and take on all the former Garvock club’s registered children and families.
A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “An inspection has identified serious and significant concerns about the quality of care experienced by children at Touch Trust in Dunfermline.
“We understand this is a difficult and distressing time for the children, their families, and staff at the service.
“However, our first priority is always the health and wellbeing of children.
“Because of our concerns, we have issued an Improvement Notice to the service. This sets out the significant improvements that must be made within a specified timeframe.
“We are in contact with the service and are monitoring them to follow up on the required improvements.”
A Touch Trust spokesperson said: “As a local charity, we were alerted to the immediate need for childcare in the area following the closure of Garvock Out of School Club.
“We stepped in to set up a service, at a time when no other providers were willing to do so.
“While there have been some early teething problems, which are to be expected with a service in its infancy, the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care is and always has been our top priority.
“We have already taken significant steps to address the issues raised by the Care Inspectorate and we are working closely with local partners and relevant authorities to ensure that we are taking appropriate and effective actions to remedy the shortcomings identified.
“We remain fully committed to improving and to delivering a high-quality service that the community can rely on.”
