Background to this inspection
Updated
12 February 2020
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
The inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
Ashtree House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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
The inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We reviewed information we had received about the service since our last inspection and sought feedback from the local authority.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people using the service, two relatives and two visiting professionals. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, two senior carers a carer, a cook, and a housekeeper. We reviewed a range of records including three people’s care records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed.
After the inspection
We reviewed additional information sent to us by the registered manager and spoke with the activities coordinator.
Updated
12 February 2020
About the service
Ashtree House is a residential care home providing personal care for a maximum of 27 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 26 people were using the service. Accommodation was provided on two floors with a lift to the upper floor containing bedrooms. Communal areas and some bedrooms were located on the ground floor.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were very happy living at the service. One person said, “I am really pleased I am here, I couldn’t wish for anything better.” A relative said, “Staff are fabulous.” People spoke about the helpfulness, kindness and friendliness of staff and told us their privacy and dignity was respected.
People received a safe service where they were protected from avoidable harm and abuse. People felt safe and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the people they cared for. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and actions were taken to reduce these risks. Staffing levels were planned to ensure there were sufficient staff with the right skills and experience to provide safe care that was responsive to people’s individual needs. A person said, “You never wait long for assistance. People’s medicines were managed safely and people told us they received their medicines regularly.
Staff were well trained and knowledgeable about the people they cared for. They liaised well with other professionals and ensured people had access to ongoing healthcare services.
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 in the service supported this practice.
People had access to a wide range of activities based on their interests and which encouraged them to be as active as possible to maintain their health and mobility. They had opportunities to engage in the wider community and were supported to maintain relationships with people important to them.
The service benefitted from clear and consistent leadership. Staff were provided with opportunities to develop and progress. The service was active in the local community and had developed good links with local services and voluntary groups. Processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and promote continuous improvement.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 25 October 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.