Background to this inspection
Updated
18 December 2019
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
One inspector carried out this inspection.
Ashley Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection.
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had which would aid our inspection. Local authorities together with other agencies may have responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and three relatives. We also spoke with two staff, the registered manager, the general manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.
Updated
18 December 2019
About the service
Ashley Lodge Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 26 people. On the day of our inspection, 19 people were receiving services, some of whom were living with dementia.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
We have made a recommendation about reviewing the policy on ‘homely remedies’ for people.
People received safe care and support as the staff team had been trained to recognise potential signs of abuse and understood what to do to safely support people.
The provider had assessed the risks to people associated with their care and support. Staff members were knowledgeable about these risks and knew what to do to minimise the potential for harm to people.
Staff members followed effective infection prevention and control procedures when supporting people. Staff members had access to, and used, appropriate personal protection equipment.
People received safe support with their medicines by trained and competent staff members.
The provider supported staff in providing effective care for people through person-centred care planning, staff training and one-to-one supervision.
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 at Ashley Lodge Residential Home supported this practice.
People had access to additional healthcare services when required. Staff members knew people's individual health outcomes and supported them appropriately. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet by a staff team which knew their individual preferences.
People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had
developed positive relationships. People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics like age, gender and disability.
People were provided with information in a way they could understand.
The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments. The provider, and management team, had good links with the local communities within which people lived. The management team and provider had systems in place to identify improvements and drive good care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was 'Good' (Published 09 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.