Ashlands Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment, the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. For example, people’s care plans contained information about their likes and dislikes including those related to hobbies and pastimes. There was evidence people and their relatives had been involved in their care planning. Where people wanted and were able to, they had personalised their bedrooms, for example with pictures of their loved ones. 

We observed kind exchanges between people and staff. One person told us, "The staff are very kind, they look after me very well.” This meant people received care which reflected their individual needs, preferences, and what mattered most to them.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

The registered manager and staff team worked together across health and social care to provide coordinated and quality care for the people they supported. For example, a GP did a weekly round and district nurses attend regularly. Established systems ensured referrals were completed appropriately. Staff were able to describe the process for escalating any concerns.

This meant people experienced consistent, joined-up care which met their ongoing needs.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

We saw communication boards and cards around the home to support people’s communication. The registered manager explained, “No one who is here at the moment would really need it but it is there if people, staff or family need it.”

People were supported with their individual communication needs. Improvements had been made to the service including buying pictures to go up around the home to make the home feel more comfortable but also assist people with placing where they were in the home. One staff member told us, “Some people are not able to express how they feel. You do the best you can to help them to express at that time, but it brings me joy when they are happy and ok.”

Dementia clocks had been put up around the home and as the home was being redecorated clear pictures were to be installed on doors such as bathrooms to make them easier to find.

This meant people and their families were better informed and able to make confident decisions about care.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment, and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People and relatives felt comfortable in raising any issues or concerns and could approach the registered and deputy manager. Complaints were investigated with actions taken as required to improve outcomes.

Feedback was received from people and relatives on the quality of the care and service provided. One relative told us, “There are meetings and they act on everything. Things are a lot better now.”

This meant people’s views and preferences were represented and considered in their care, even when they could not communicate them directly. This also meant people felt able to raise any issues if they arose and felt they would be listened to.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support, and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff acted promptly when people’s health or wellbeing changed. People had access to dental care and optician services when needed, with staff supporting appointments and arranging transport where necessary. Medicines were administered on time. People had the necessary mobility aids in place to meet their needs and promote independence. The provider had systems in place to ensure people had access to medical care. People had access to healthcare professionals such as a GP or when emergency healthcare was needed.

This meant people could access the service regardless of their background or circumstances, helping ensure care was inclusive, fair, and tailored to individual needs.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support, and treatment in response to this.

People told us they were supported with activities and to personalise their care. The registered manager told us they were introducing new activities and working to find things people would enjoy. They had purchased dementia jigsaws and were looking into doing music therapy type activities with musical instruments.

People’s support plans were personalised and ensured staff and managers understood the level of support people required to maintain their interests, and relationships with people important to them.

People and their relatives did not report any concerns in relation to discrimination and inequality. Staff were able to discuss how they ensured people were treated equally and fairly no matter their age, sexuality, or their health diagnosis. The service had an Equality and Diversity policy in place which staff had access to. Staff completed training in equality and diversity to understand and reduce inequalities which affected outcomes for people they supported.

This meant staff and the management team worked to improve people’s experiences and outcomes through interacting with them and their family and trying things with people to improve their lives as well as by completing relevant training.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they had enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

At the time of this assessment the service was not supporting anybody who was receiving care during the final stages of life. The leadership team understood the importance of supporting people with decisions about their future and were able to give examples of supporting people where they struggled to talk or think about the end of their life care and preferences. We saw details in care plans regarding people having advanced decision paperwork in place, for example Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) documentation and details of how people wanted to be cared for in the future such as when they were at the end of life.

There was information on people’s treatment choices such as if they wanted to go to hospital if they were unwell and what type of treatment they were happy to receive when there. Where people did not want to be resuscitated, in the event their heart or breathing stopped, this information was available to staff. The deputy manager told us, “Nobody likes to discuss the end of their life, they are all scared. You do it with willingness to listen, compassion and kindness. We encourage everyone to have a plan in place. We try to do that with the residents and the family members.”

This meant people were supported to think ahead and make informed choices about their future care, helping to ensure their wishes were understood and respected as their needs changed.