Ashington 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. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff interactions with people were positive. Family members told us that staff were “attentive and caring”, “friendly and supportive”, and had “a good bond” with their relatives. A healthcare professional said, “I have found the staff interacting genuinely with the person I have placed there.”

Staff provided examples of how they supported people’s dignity, commenting, “We maintain dignity by covering, closing doors and curtains, and completing personal care such as pad changes in private areas like the bedroom or toilet.” We found that people’s cultural and religious needs were considered and met to the extent that these were important to the individual, ensuring their preferences were respected and incorporated into their daily support.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

There was an emphasis on person‑centred care, and individuality was promoted to ensure people were supported in ways that suited them. Staff told us, and we observed, that people’s support was delivered in ways that reflected each person’s preferences. This included how personal care was provided and how individuals liked their daily routines to be organised. A family member confirmed this approach, commenting, “[People] are looked after very well and each one is treated as an individual, which is nice.” A healthcare professional added, “During my visit, staff appeared to be taking a person‑centred approach to get to know [name of the person’s] support needs.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were supported to engage in activities that were meaningful to them. The activities timetable we reviewed included a variety of activities designed to meet people’s individual interests and preferences, both within the home and in the wider community. People also had access to day centre activities, and swimming sessions were offered as part of the activity programme.

A family member told us, “My [relative] is always taken to various places and for outings. [My relative] likes the music sessions that take place at the home and really enjoys picture threading.” A healthcare professional said, “I am aware that lots of activities were trialled when [a person] moved in to help identify what she would enjoy.”

However, during both of our visits, we observed relaxing times when people were not engaged in activities and would have benefited from music or the television being switched on to provide stimulation. The registered manager acknowledged this feedback and told us this would be addressed.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Care plans identified opportunities to promote people’s independence, including the support a person required to brush their teeth as independently as possible. We observed people accessing the fridge independently to help themselves to food and choosing items to offer to other residents. One person was provided with an easy‑to‑hold food pouch to promote independence during mealtimes.

A staff member commented, “We encourage [people] to eat independently if they are able to, help increase independence. They put on their clothes themselves, and in the bathroom we supervise only. We ensure they can do things on their own, and we help only when they find something tricky, like putting on their shoes.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were offered continuous development opportunities. This included support to complete National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and progress within their roles for those who met performance expectations. NVQs supported staff to develop the skills, knowledge and competence required to deliver high‑quality, person‑centred care and helped the service to maintain a skilled, confident and motivated workforce.