HILLSIDE School in Aberdour has been given extra time to make improvements after "serious and significant" concerns were raised about the quality of its care provision.

Earlier this year, the Care Inspectorate ordered urgent action and ordered the facility to ensure no child or young person is subject to restraint unless it is the "only practicable means" of securing their welfare and safety.

It was given a string of improvements to be made and, while some have already been implemented, the inspectors say some more is still to be done.

A letter to the school said they had decided to extend the timescale from May to August to give a "further opportunity to make a significant improvement in the provision of the service".

READ MORE: Care Inspectorate orders urgent improvements at Aberdour school

Hillside bosses have until August 31 to ensure systems are in place for the identification, assessment, analysis, management and mitigation of risk.

The Care Inspectorate letter warned: "You should ensure that there are tools in place and implemented to support methodical and systematic approaches to better understand risk and its presentation.

"This is to ensure the safety of children and young people and ensure they receive high quality consistent care and support."

Hillside School provides 52-week residential care and education for young people aged 8-19 who have complex and/or additional support needs.

There are also plans to build a new school and up to 200 homes on the site. 

An extension on a requirement that there must be evaluative scrutiny and oversight of all aspects of the care provision within the service was also granted.

READ MORE: Care Inspectorate reveals 'serious concerns' over Hillside School

A series of other measures have already been met including

  • Ensuring that no child or young person is subject to restraint, unless it is the only practicable means of securing the welfare and safety of the child or young person.
  • Ensuring that the school's child and adult protection practice is reviewed and developed
  • Ensuring that at all times, suitably qualified and competent persons are working in the care service in such numbers as are appropriate for the health, welfare and safety of children and young people, and that there are processes in place to identify and appropriately respond to any concerns about staff competence and practice.

The Care Inspectorate has warned that it intends to make a proposal to cancel the school's registration if the improvements are not made within the new timescale.