Ashgale House

Updated 18 March 2026

Date of assessment: 14 April to 7 May 2026.

Ashgale House is a care home for up to 14 people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 13 people living at the service.

We assessed the service after we had received information of concerns in relation to restrictive practices within the service.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

We identified breaches of legal regulations relating to person centred care, safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from the risk of abuse and neglect and good governance.

We found that care plans did not contain sufficient detail to support the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care. Risks to people’s health and safety were not consistently assessed, and appropriate action was not always taken to mitigate identified risks. There was an inconsistent approach to risk management which put people at risk of avoidable harm.

People were not always supported to lead fulfilling lives. There was little evidence that people were being supported with social and recreational activities that met their needs and that they were being supported to get more involved in their local community.

Care plans were not always reviewed and updated to reflect people’s current needs. These were also not provided to people in a format that met their communication needs so they were fully involved in their care.

Governance systems were not consistently effective. Oversight processes did not identify weaknesses in care plans, medicines management or risk assessment, indicating ongoing governance gaps. Although the provider carried out audits, these had not detected the concerns identified during this assessment.

However, staff were individually caring and attentive to people’s needs and feedback about staff was positive. People were supported by staff that had received appropriate training and support to do their jobs. The home was cleaned and appropriately maintained so people lived in pleasant surroundings.

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Updated 18 March 2026

During our assessment we spoke with 5 people’s relatives and used observations to assess whether people received good care.

Not everyone could use words to communicate, so we spent time observing how staff supported and engaged with people. We saw that whilst staff were polite, many interactions were tasked based and did not consider people’s emotions or individual needs. Staff did not always provide opportunities for people to take part in meaningful activities.

We received mixed feedback from relatives. Some relatives told us they had concerns about the lack of meaningful activities, and this had been raised with the manager however they were not taken forward. But on the whole, relatives were happy with the care and support their loved ones received and found staff and managers approachable and caring. Some people had lived in the home for a long time, so families had a longstanding relationship with the service and some of the staff.

People we spoke with told us they were happy living at the service. They liked the staff and told us they had good relationships with them. Everyone appeared comfortable and relaxed with staff. People had familiar routines which helped them to feel safe and understand what was happening.

While the people we spoke with expressed that they were generally happy with their care, our assessment found some elements of care did not always meet the expected standards.