Ashlands Care Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment, the rating has changed to 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. Staff at all levels worked together to provide quality care and support to people living at the home.

Feedback from staff showed staff to be committed, compassionate, and a person-centred team. The registered manager led by example and empowered people to live full lives. The registered manager and staff knew people very well and understood the challenges they faced. Support was tailored to meet individual needs. There was an on-call system for staff to use if needed for things which happened when management were not on site.

This meant people benefited from being supported by a team who worked together with shared values and a clear focus on delivering high-quality care.

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 openness and honesty.

The management team was committed to improvement and was open and transparent regarding the improvements made and those which were on going. We were told the focus of the service was to ensure people were safe and supported with understanding.

There were systems and processes in place to support staff development. They talked of how they were supported to attend training or given informal training and support on the job from experienced staff. Staff supervisions, and competency checks took place.

Staff spoke highly of the registered manager. One staff member said, “You soon get to realise that what she is doing is right. I think it has got a lot better and she will only keep getting it better.” This meant people benefited from leadership who promoted a positive, supportive, and inclusive culture.

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

There was an up to date speak up policy in place. Staff we spoke with were confident their voices were heard, and action would be taken. Staff understood how to speak up and the process for doing so. There was a culture of speaking up where staff were able to raise concerns without fear of detriment. The management team had an ‘open door policy’ which meant people, staff and families could approach them at any time if they had any concerns.

The registered manager was aware of the importance of supporting staff to speak up. The registered manager told us, “We are really approachable and it encourages people to come and talk to us. They know or I hope they know that if they come and tell us something we will action it. We are flexible as well, if they want the rota changed, we will try and change it.” This meant people were supported by a team who felt confident to raise concerns.

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 were positive about working at Ashlands Care Home and felt they were treated with respect. The management team encouraged and supported open communication and there was an open-door policy. The home was proud to be inclusive and supported both staff and people who used the service. Staff valued the flexibility they were offered in their roles. One staff member said, “we all get our rotas ahead, a week or 2 ahead. If anyone feels they can' work at a certain time we can change it ourselves by speaking to someone else and they will approve it. They are flexible.”

This meant staff felt valued and empowered to bring their whole selves to work, fostering a culture of authenticity and inclusion which positively impacted people using the service through more empathetic, personalised, and responsive care.

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.

Some of the issues we identified during our assessment had not been identified by the provider prior to our visit. The provider listened to our feedback, responded positively, and acted promptly to resolve issues, mitigating risk by their responsiveness.

The service was led by a visible and approachable management team who promoted a positive, open culture. There were clear governance systems in place including a comprehensive programme of audits to review aspects of the service which were clear and detailed. The registered manager completed internal checks including checks of people’s finances, care plan reviews, and medicine audits which included regular audits and quality checks. They had amended some audits they were using and had plans to improve other existing records and audits which helped identify and address issues promptly. Staff felt supported and valued, and there was a strong focus on continuous improvement.

This meant people received consistently high-quality, person-centred care from a stable and well-managed team who were committed to meeting their needs now and in the future.

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.

Staff and the management team were open and transparent, and they collaborated with all relevant external stakeholders and agencies. The service worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to achieve good outcomes for people. Staff and managers ensured that where needed, timely and appropriate referrals were made to health and social care professions. External agencies told us they had no concerns about the service.

Some people were involved in getting to know their local shops and businesses. Staff at the service ensured people maintained links with community services which were important to them. Families were encouraged to visit and join activities. The registered manager said, “We have opened up to the community. The events are also for the staff, the staff families, and the relatives. We are trying to build a community in the home.”

This meant people benefited from links with the wider community, enhancing their support networks and wellbeing.

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.

The provider was committed to driving improvement in the service. During our last assessment there were complaints about clothing and laundry going missing. The registered manager had listened to feedback and taken various steps to make improvements. The registered manager told us, “We have put a laundry basket in each person’s room and wash things in batches, clothes are all labelled to resolve the issue of clothes getting muddled.”

Staff spoke positively about the home and said many improvements had been made, including better laundry systems, food quality, training, and the general environment. They described the home as friendly, and one staff member said it felt like a family home. All staff we spoke to said they would recommend the home to relatives and felt people received good care.

People and their relatives had opportunities to feedback their views about the service and quality of the care they received. People and relatives all described the staff and management of the service as open and approachable and much improved. Complaints were taken seriously and learning from them taken forward. A notice board in the main foyer displayed a ‘You said, we did’ section, demonstrating how the service acted on feedback to make improvements.

This meant people benefited from a service which actively learned and adapted to deliver better care.