Ashlands Mews

Updated 5 July 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by 1 inspector, and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 2 people who used the service. We spoke with the registered manager and 5 care assistants. We reviewed 3 people’s care records and 3 staff files and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff deployment, training, support and recruitment, the provider’s monitoring systems and meeting records.

Updated 5 July 2023

About the service

Ashlands Mews provides personal care for up to 7 people living in independent living bungalows on the same site, with access to support staff 24 hours a day. The service supports younger and older adults, including people with a physical disability.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, 3 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.

People’s experience of using the service and what we found

Improvements to people’s support plans were identified. The registered manager had some plans in place to make these improvements. They also took immediate actions on the day of inspection to make improvements.

People received safe care and support from a stable and experienced staff team that knew their individual care and support needs, routines, and preferences.

Staff had received safeguarding training and were aware of their responsibilities to protect people from avoidable harm.

People received care calls at the expected times, staff stayed for the duration of the call and were unrushed. People could request additional support and staff were responsive.

People received their prescribed medicines when required and national best practice guidance was followed. Staff had access to personal protective equipment and had received training in infection prevention and control.

There were sufficient staff available to meet people’s individual needs. Staff had been safely recruited and received opportunities to discuss their work and have their competency assessed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The registered manager and provider understood their registration regulatory responsibilities. The last rating for the service was clearly displayed. There were effective communication systems. People received regular opportunities to discuss their care package.

People were positive about the care and support they received that enabled them to lead active and fulfilling lives. Staff were positive about working at the service and felt well supported.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 15 August 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection. We have found evidence the provider needs to make some continued improvements. Please see the well-led section of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ashland Mews on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.