Asher House

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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.
 

This service scored 80 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered manager and staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion. People and their relatives were consistently positive about the caring attitude of staff. One relative commented, “My [Person] is well supported, they are treated with care and dignity and the staff are respectful”.The atmosphere within the service was warm, welcoming and relaxed. Throughout the inspection, we observed kind, compassionate and person-centred interactions between staff and people using the service. Care was not task-focused; instead, staff tailored their support to people's individual needs, preferences and routines. Staff demonstrated a detailed knowledge of people's histories, interests and what mattered most to them. We observed positive, trusting relationships between people and staff. People appeared comfortable and at ease in staff's presence, regularly approaching them for support, reassurance or conversation. Discussions with staff and our observations showed they were genuinely invested in people's wellbeing and provided thoughtful, meaningful support. Staff responded promptly when people required assistance or reassurance but also recognised when individuals needed time and space, supporting them in line with their PBS plans.
 

People’s individual needs, preferences and wishes were understood and reflected within their care plans. These considered people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, cultural backgrounds, protected characteristics and what was important to them. The service supported people to practise their faith helping them maintain connections with their spiritual and cultural communities.Relatives spoke positively about staff’s understanding of people's needs. One relative told us, “The staff are very knowledgeable and know [Person] well. They know what [Person] likes and does not like.” Staff demonstrated a detailed knowledge of the people they supported and were able to clearly describe their needs, preferences and daily routines. For example, staff explained how a person preferred spending time in the garden and smoking, while another enjoyed remaining at home engaged in activities rather than accessing the community. People’s communication needs were understood and met. Staff adapted their communication styles to suit individual needs and used personalised approaches to help people understand information, express their views and make choices about their care and daily lives. This supported people to be actively involved in decisions affecting them and helped maximise their experiences and outcomes.
 

People were supported to understand their rights, exercise choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing, and develop greater independence. The registered manager described how the service was supporting a person to increase their independence after spending many years in a mental health setting. This included working with the person, their social worker and mental health professionals to explore future opportunities to further their independence and personal development. Staff were observed encouraging people to take an active role in their daily lives. Support was provided in a way that enabled people to develop and maintain skills rather than doing things for them. Staff understood the importance of balancing support with positive risk-taking and enabling people to do as much for themselves as possible. A member of staff told us, “We try to promote independence by encouraging people to clean their room and do their own personal care.”

People were supported to maintain important relationships with family and friends and access the local community. A new activities coordinator had recently been appointed. They told us this was part of service development to introduce and plan meaningful activities for people. Activities were tailored to people's individual interests, cultural and sensory needs. For example, the activities coordinator had recognised a person's sensory interest in water and incorporated this into a range of enjoyable activities. People were encouraged and supported to access their local community, including visiting local shops, purchasing favourite foods or buying personal items. The activities coordinator told us they were exploring new opportunities to enhance people's experiences, including planning a gardening project, and supporting people to choose and purchase plants for the garden. They were also developing activities to mark World Mental Health day and planning seasonal events, including Halloween and Christmas celebrations, to promote social engagement and wellbeing.

The registered manager and staff knew people well and recognised when they needed reassurance or additional support. Staff understood how people communicated, including non-verbal communication, and responded promptly to signs of anxiety or distress in line with their PBS plans. Staff were quick to identify changes in people's wellbeing and escalated concerns appropriately with PBS colleagues and healthcare professionals. Care records demonstrated timely action when health or welfare concerns were identified. A relative told us, “There is good communication, I am informed if there are any medical concerns or [Person's] care plan needs updating.”Staff took time to engage people in discussions about their care and how to respond in the most appropriate way to meet their needs and respect their wishes. A member of staff told us, people had become more settled and confident since moving into the service as they became familiar with their surroundings and developed trusting relationships with staff. They commented, “For example, [Person], initially displayed behaviours of distress and found it difficult to engage with staff, they have made significant progress, and now greets us with smiles, communicates their preferences more effectively, and has begun joining others in communal areas for meals.”

Leaders (the provider, provider representatives and the registered manager) demonstrated an exceptional commitment to staff wellbeing, inclusion and professional development. Staff consistently described feeling valued, respected and supported, and spoke with pride about working at the service. Leaders had created a culture where staff felt listened to, recognised and empowered to develop their careers, resulting in a stable and highly motivated workforce. The registered manager told us, “Investing in staff is fundamental to achieving positive outcomes for people.” Staff were actively supported to pursue their professional aspirations through training, mentoring and development opportunities. One staff member described the significant support they had received to develop specialist skills in positive behaviour support and pursue a career pathway in this area.

The service promoted an exceptionally inclusive culture. The provider's values of equality, diversity and inclusion were embedded throughout the service and consistently reflected in the behaviour of leaders and staff. Staff wellbeing was embedded throughout the service. Initiatives included wellbeing events, staff recognition schemes, recruitment incentives, dedicated rest facilities and active encouragement for staff to prioritise their own wellbeing during shifts. Staff described an exceptional work-life balance and told us leaders genuinely cared about their physical and emotional wellbeing. The positive impact of this approach was evident in people's experiences. A consistent staff team had been maintained since the service opened, enabling people to develop strong, trusting relationships with those supporting them. Staff knew people extremely well and were able to provide highly personalised care that reflected their individual needs, preferences and goals.