- Care home
Ashchurch House
Assessment report published 26 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
About the service
Ashchurch House is a residential care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 10 people. At the time of the inspection 9 people were living at the service and 4 people were on holidays.
The accommodation is arranged over 2 levels. The ground floor is accessible for people with physical disabilities or restricted mobility.
Who the service is for
Ashchurch House is a 10-bed service providing support and accommodation to people with a learning disability.
Key findings
We carried out this assessment on 6 October 2026 to confirm whether the rating of good remains accurate. This report does not provide detailed information on areas where we found practice continues to meet a good standard. Instead, our findings focus if we found any areas where the service needs to improve or where we found exceptional practice.
We assessed the service against Right support, right care, right culture guidance to determine whether it ensured people with a learning disability and autistic people received respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence and access to their local community. The service worked in line with the principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were supported to exercise choice and control, maintain important relationships and participate in activities within their local community.
People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. Staff and management worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations were appropriately applied for and overseen. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.
People told us they felt safe living at the home and relatives spoke positively about the care and support provided. A person told us, “Yes, I do feel safe here. Staff respect me.” We also 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. Observations during the site visits showed staff interacting positively with people.
The environment was clean, well maintained and free from hazards. The menus, and activity schedules were displayed and it included images and wording tailored for the people needs. The provider carried out various checks on the physical environment to help ensure it was safe. These included tests by qualified contractors relating to health and safety, fire, gas, electricals and water safety to ensure the premises were safe for people.
Staffing levels were stable, and staff described feeling well supported by visible and approachable leaders. We observed kind, respectful and unhurried interactions between staff and people. Staff supported people safely explaining what they were doing and offered reassurance. Records showed staff had undertaken training to support their knowledge and understanding of how to keep people safe. They knew of their responsibilities to protect people from harm. However, we found the provider did not organise routine appraisals meetings with all staff. The registered manager told us they were new to the post and assured us they would plan appraisal meetings for all staff in the coming weeks.
Care plans were detailed and covered key areas of people’s needs and risks. People and their relatives confirmed they were involved in planning and reviews of their care. Risks to people were assessed and management plans were in place to inform staff how to reduce and manage risks to maintain people’s safety. For example, we saw risk assessments had been undertaken for people who were at risk of falls, and malnutrition.
A system was in place to record and monitor incidents within the service. We saw evidence that staff were encouraged to shared safeguarding concerns. People we spoke with confirmed they were informed when incidents involving their relative occurred. We saw the evidence where provider reported safeguarding concerns with the appropriate government bodies where appropriate. However, we found actions taken by the registered manager were not always recorded. We brought this to the registered manager attention they assured us they will improve on this.
Medicines were managed in a safe way. Medicines administration charts were maintained. We saw these had been competed accurately, and they were regularly audited by a senior member of staff. A relatives told us they saw staff wear gloves when administering medicines to people.
Staff demonstrated a strong understanding of people’s individual needs, preferences, and personal circumstances, enabling them to develop positive, respectful, and trusting relationships.
The service promoted an open, inclusive, and person-centred culture. Staff, people using the service, relatives, and external professionals were actively encouraged to contribute to the ongoing development and continuous improvement of the service.
The provider maintained effective partnerships with the local community and relevant organisations, supporting a coordinated and collaborative approach to delivering high-quality care.
The quality assurance and governance systems were in place to monitor the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the service. The registered manager was supported by a deputy manager and an area manager to ensure the service is run smoothly. These processes supported continuous learning, identified areas for improvement, and helped drive positive outcomes for people using the service.
People's experience of this service
People told us they had a positive experience of living at Ashchurch House and felt safe, comfortable and well cared for. During our visit, the atmosphere across all areas of the home was calm, welcoming and relaxed. People were being supported with their personal care by staff. Some people were having their breakfast in the dining area and others appeared settled and at ease in communal areas. A person told, “I am happy here. Staff are caring. They respect me”
People and their relatives were positive about the care and support provided by staff. They said the management team were approachable, accessible, and friendly. People told us they were happy living at the service and with the support they received from staff. They were aware of how to raise any concerns or complaints with the service. A person said, “I do get the support when I need it. I come to the office if I have any complaints.” A relative told us, “My [relative] seems to be happy at Ashchurch House. I really cannot fault them for anything. Staff are always very welcoming. I am happy they way they treat my [relative].” A healthcare professional commented, “I have no concerns about the standard of care provided. The staff are proactive in identifying and responding to residents' needs.”
We carried out observations of care and saw staff interacting with people in a respectful, compassionate and unhurried way. Staff explained what they were doing, offered reassurance and used clear verbal prompts when supporting people.
Mealtimes were observed to be well organised and responsive. The registered manager told us people unable to communicate verbally were asked for their choices using picture menus and we saw the evidence to support this. People had choices to eat in the dining area, lounge or in the garden.
The provider promoted the equality and diversity of people. They ensured people had equal opportunities, regardless of their abilities, their background or their lifestyle. For example, people had equal access to activities considering their individual circumstances. A person said, “I like [musician] who visit the care home every Tuesday. I look forward to their show.” We also observed people sitting in the garden and enjoying a cup of tea there.
People received personalised care and support that was tailored to their individual needs. We found people’s care plans gave sufficient instructions to staff on how to deliver care and support to people in accordance with their wishes. The care plans were reviewed and updated regularly or when the need arose. Any changes in people's needs were recorded and discussed during staff handovers. This helped to ensure people who used the service received the care and support they needed.
People were encouraged and supported to pursue their interests and maintain links with the community. A person told us, “I go to Hornchurch with staff for coffee and to buy clothes.” Relatives told us they could visit their loved ones and were always made welcome.
The registered manager operated an open-door policy where people, relatives and staff were able to discuss any issues they might have. This ensured the service ran smoothly. A staff told us, “The registered manager is approachable and listens to people and staff. They are a very good observer.” Another staff said, “Whenever I need support, I come to the office. The registered manager and deputy manager both are very supportive.”
People told us they were able to speak with the registered manager at any time. There were regular meetings for staff where they had opportunities to discuss any issues or share any ideas. There were meetings held for people their relatives where they were given opportunities to discuss any concerns they might have. The provider conducted surveys with people and their relatives. Comments from the surveys included, “The staff are warm and helpful.”, and “Staff of Ashchurch are brilliant as they are dealing with complex cases. Service users appeared happy and settled.”
The registered manager worked closely with other health and social care professionals to ensure the people received the care and support they needed. Records showed they had regular contact with multi-disciplinary teams to discuss people’s on-going needs or to seek advice. We contacted healthcare professionals working closely with the service for their feedback about the service. Comments from the healthcare professionals included, “Overall, my experience of working with Ashchurch House has been positive, and I have found the staff to be responsive, attentive and committed to supporting residents with complex needs.”, “The care home staff has demonstrated a caring, respectful and person-centred approach towards the services users. They have a good rapport with the patients with a learning disability and make efforts to promote good quality of life.” and “Working with them has been great as the manager is quite proactive and open to recommendations and suggestions. Communication is also great as they keep us updated of any changes or concerns which allow us to provide support immediately.”
The registered manager kept themselves up to date with best practice. They attended meetings run by local authorities, multidisciplinary team, and specialist services on a regular basis to share ideas on how they could improve their services further.