Ashton 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 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People told us they experienced respectful and dignified care, describing staff as kind, empathetic and compassionate. We observed warm, positive interactions and staff who knew people well and treated them with dignity and respect.People were supported to make choices about where they ate their meals. People living in the dementia suite had the opportunity to eat in the main dining room, remain in their bedrooms, or eat in the lounge using lap tables. These choices were reflected in people’s daily care records.Where a person required blood glucose monitoring and insulin administration immediately before eating, this was undertaken in line with their individual preferences. Staff also considered the person’s privacy when administering insulin, demonstrating an individualised approach to supporting people with their medicines while maintaining their dignity.

People shared positive experiences. These included, “I love it here; everyone is so friendly and helpful.” And “Absolutely fantastic here.” Another person described the staff as “. Very good, very patient, thoughtful.” A person with a learning disability repeatedly expressed appreciation for the staff, saying, "Thank you, everyone, for all you do." The person told us they were very happy adding, “I'm lucky, really. It's very nice. There's lots of staff."

The provider treated people as individuals. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, backgrounds, and protected characteristics and used this information to inform care planning and delivery. People were able to receive visitors when they wished and had access to technology and Wi-Fi to support communication and independence.

We observed compassionate person-centred support being provided to a person with a learning disability at lunchtime. The person required full assistance to eat, and staff provided dignified support at a pace and level appropriate to their individual needs and wishes.

People’s bedrooms were personalised with photographs, keepsakes and other items that were important to them. One person used their favourite duvet cover from home, while a symbol representing their favourite football team was displayed on their door to help them identify and personalise their own space. A relative told us, “They get to know the clients and what they’ve done in their lives. I brought in photos of [name] when she was young, so staff could see what she was like then.” Another told us, “I felt reassured when [name] first came in and felt like a weight had been lifted.”

The provider did not always promote people’s independence, so people did not always know their rights and have choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

There were 45 people living with dementia in a dedicated wing of the care home. Their care was not always supportive of choice or in line with national best practice guidelines for people living with dementia. The environment did not consistently support people to think, make choices or engage independently. There were limited sensory, stimulating and meaningful occupation opportunities available for people to access at their own initiative. The lack of accessible activities and environmental prompts meant people were not always supported to remain engaged, occupied and active in a meaningful way throughout the day. A person living in the dementia wing told us, “I feel very sad, very isolated, but I think it’s probably safer than being on my own.”

In other areas of the home, people were supported to make choices and decisions throughout the day, promoting independence and autonomy. Staff encouraged independence in aspects of personal care, medicines, and communication. People told us they were able to choose how they spent their time, what to wear and meal choices. A person said, "I pretty much do my own thing and the staff respect that.” Another person said, “Apart from going outside, the rest of the time I decide what I want to do and where.” A visitor told us, “They are always asking [name] what she would like, they offer choices all the time to try and encourage her to think for herself a bit more.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded appropriately to people’s needs in the moment and took action to minimise discomfort, concern or distress. We observed staff used sensory techniques to support a person with a learning disability who had woken in a confused state. These techniques helped reduce the person’s anxiety and enabled them to become comfortable enough to engage with the care being offered.

We received mixed feedback from people about the timeliness of call bell responses. Some people did not always feel staff responded promptly or reliably. A person said, “Sometimes I think they are a bit slow, but I know there are many other people here.” A person said, “If I wake up in the night and I ring my buzzer they will give me my cup of tea. It's no trouble at all.” A relative told us, “On the whole it's a good experience, although some days you need to take the rough with the smooth.”

The provider told us they had recently introduced a dedicated call bell responder role, which they said had had a positive impact on response times. During the inspection, we observed staff responding promptly and appropriately to requests.

The provider promoted staff wellbeing and provided a supportive working environment. Staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager and provider and described the service as a good place to work with effective support systems. Many staff, including the registered manager, had worked at the service for several years, demonstrating good staff retention.

Staff told us they felt supported, had opportunities to progress and gain qualifications, and knew how to raise concerns through the provider’s formal procedures. There was a named mental health first aider to support staff wellbeing and staff had free access to an employee assistance scheme. Social events were held for the staff, including sports competitions with other care homes

The provider supported staff development and career progression. There was a supervision policy which centred on open dialogue between the staff member and their supervisor. Supervision also offered the opportunity for personal development and learning.