Ashburton House

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good.

This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The feedback we received from staff and the registered manager indicated there was a strong culture of team working and providing person-centred care and support. Staff commented positively about their employment at the service and said there was an excellent team approach. During the assessment, the home was warm and welcoming. Observations showed staff spent time with people and knew people as individuals. We saw staff effectively communicating with each other.

Staff confirmed they were supported through supervision and appraisal. Key information was communicated through daily handovers and periodic staff meetings.

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The service management team and provider worked closely and effectively together. Discussions with the provider, registered manager and head of care all demonstrated a clear understanding of their roles, and a desire to provide high quality care and achieve good outcomes for people.

Staff told us the management team were supportive and would always offer help, support and assistance when required. One staff member said, “They [provider, registered manager and head of care] are all very good and if you have any issues it is ok to talk with them.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

There were systems and processes to encourage and respond to feedback from people using the service, staff and external stakeholders. The registered manager and staff promoted an atmosphere where people felt able to speak up. There were resident’s meetings and surveys completed, and healthcare professionals could feedback in person or via an electronic form.

Staff were confident about raising any ideas and concerns to the provider and management team. Team meetings and supervisions were used to share ideas and suggestions as well as learning from any concerns or incidents. Staff surveys were also offered to allow staff to feedback their views on their employment.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff all received the same opportunities to train and develop themselves. The provider and registered manager told us staff were encouraged to contribute to the service development through regular staff meetings and supervisions. Staff said they felt valued and supported in their roles and no concerns were raised around equality and inclusion. Staff received training on communicating effectively and diversity and equality. This supported staff to understand and uphold inclusive practices in both care delivery and team interactions.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

There were effective systems to monitor the quality of care and people’s experiences. A wide range of internal audits were completed, including audits of care plans, risk assessments, medicines and infection control. Audit findings were used as part of the service’s ongoing service improvement plan which showed how the provider identified areas for improvement and detailed how these would be addressed. Environmental checks were completed to help keep people safe, and external contractors were used appropriately for specialist services when required.

The registered manager was committed to improving outcomes for people and staff. This included investing in continuous education and development opportunities for staff, which helped to improve the quality of care being delivered. They had also attended additional training provided by the local authority to support them in their role.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

Records showed the service worked closely with external healthcare professionals. For example, the service had weekly communication and visits from the local GP to discuss any concerns or health queries. Staff also contacted the GP surgery outside of scheduled calls if they had any urgent requests.We received positive feedback from health and social care professionals, all of whom noted recent improvements within the service relating to communication which had resulted in more effective processes and good outcomes for people.

The provider and registered manager had created links with the local community to enhance the lives of people living at the service. This included with the local church, a weekly reading session with the local primary school and a ‘pen pal’ scheme where people exchanged letters with the local school pupils.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research.

The provider and registered manager were committed to making their service as safe as possible and used systems effectively to improve people’s experience and outcomes. There was a commitment to learning and continuous improvement. The service regularly sought feedback from health and social care professionals, people, relatives and the staff team. A continual service improvement plan gave an oversight of actions and improvements that had been identified and when they were completed.