Ashley Gardens

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff spent time getting to know people and build trust and rapport with people. Staff knew people’s needs and preferences and treated people with dignity and respect. When people needed support with personal care staff responded discretely to maintain their dignity. Relatives told us staff took the time to get to know people and their relatives. One relative told us, “They treat everyone so well, I cannot fault the staff, they know me, they know the family, it is just like an extended family.”

One person told us “They are all very nice and helpful to us. All very kind. We love it here, and staff are very nice.”

The registered manager carried out regular dignity audits, included looking at communication and personalised care to ensure people's needs were being met to a continually high standard.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Care plans included information for staff regarding how people liked to spend their day and how people liked to have their care needs met. For example, one person did not often eat their meals sat at the dining table and would often leave the dining area and return to communal rooms. Staff were aware they liked to eat little and often and we observed staff regularly provide food options they knew the person enjoyed.

Staff had completed dementia awareness and communication training to support them to meet people’s needs. We saw staff responded to people with compassion and staff spoke about people with fondness. Relatives told us, “The effort which the staff team make for special days like birthdays, Christmas and other events is amazing and genuine. Staff baked a birthday cake for Mum recently, as they do for all residents which was amazingly tasty. I mention this as an example of the very significant lengths staff go to, seemingly naturally and with ease. My wife and I are always welcomed genuinely and with warmth when we visit.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.
People were supported to maintain their independence. For example, we saw people who liked to walk around the home, being supported by staff to access other areas of the home safely. Staff communicated with people effectively, taking the time to sit with them and speak clearly, offering options and choices for people throughout the day. People were given time and space to eat their meals independently, with gentle support and encouragement provided when required. We saw examples where people changed their mind about their meal choice and alternatives were provided without question.

People had access to a variety of activities. Including group and one to one activities. Activities included games, singing, music and puzzles. We saw certificates in people’s rooms for singing in the Ashley Gardens Choir and every Christmas staff performed a pantomime for the residents and relatives. The home also had a cinema room, where people could choose to watch a movie. The activity staff told us how the activity schedule was very flexible depending on what people wanted to do. They had recently celebrated national milk day, with milk related activities and milkshakes, with a planned costume day later that week. There had also recently been an open day in the garden which was well attended.
A Relative told us, “They love the activities they are so much more stimulated here, at home they just sat in front of TV. They have made a friend and they are best buddies. Their quality of life has improved massively, it’s perfect.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff responded to people’s individual needs. We saw staff recognised when people were becoming anxious or upset and care was provided promptly. When people became unwell GP’s and health professionals were contacted to ensure people's health needs were consistently met.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were supported from the time their employment commenced. All staff had access to the homes staff handbook and policies relevant to their role.

The provider and registered manager were passionate about supporting staff and ensuring their wellbeing. The registered manager told us, “We do a lot of team building, most recently we went bowling together, the provider paid money towards this.”

Staff wellbeing was considered and supported. The provider was a ‘Speak up Guardian’. The provider visited the home frequently. Staff told us they would be happy to speak to the provider if they had any concerns.

Many staff had worked at Ashley Gardens for many years. Staff were supported to progress within their roles. The registered manager told us they had started work at Ashley Gardens as a carer and over time had worked their way up to become manager. We spoke to staff who were being supported to work within new roles. One person was acting up in a deputy manager role and told us they felt supported by the registered manager and were enjoying the challenge to increase their skills.