- Care home
Ash House
Assessment report published 18 June 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 20 April 2025 to 23 April 2025. This assessment was carried out due to the service not been previously inspected.
Ash House is a residential care home providing support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection 3 people were in receipt of regulated activity.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’. This guidance supported judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence and access to local communities that most people take for granted.
The service was in breach of 2 legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance.
Professional guidance was not always embedded into practice, which meant people with a learning disability and/or autistic people were not consistently supported in line with their assessed needs. Incidents were not always followed up robustly, and there were delays in escalation, in complete records gaps, and limited evidence that learning from incidents was used to reduce future risks. This reduced assurance that people were supported safely and proactively, particularly where they relied on staff to recognise and respond to changes in their needs.
Medicines management systems were not always effective, as medication fridge temperatures were not consistently monitored within recommended ranges and there was not always clear evidence of timely action or escalation.
Governance and quality assurance systems were not always effective in identifying and addressing concerns. Although the provider completed audits at service and provider level, including an independent audit, these did not consistently result in sustained improvements, and previously identified issues had not been fully resolved at the time of inspection.
Following feedback, the provider shared actions taken, including increased management oversight and additional monitoring arrangements. However, these measures had been recently introduced and were not yet embedded, so we could not be assured that governance systems were effective at the time of inspection.
However, staff and relatives spoke positively about the leadership and management of the service and told us they felt supported and were able to raise concerns. The management team were responsive during the inspection and feedback process.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
People's experience of this service
People appeared comfortable and relaxed in their environment. We observed staff interacting with people in a calm, kind and respectful way, taking time to engage and respond to their individual needs. People were supported at their own pace, and staff used a familiar approach which helped people feel at ease.
Family members told us they generally had positive experiences of the service and described staff as caring and approachable. They said they felt able to speak with management if they had any concerns and that communication with the service was generally open. One family member told us, “The staff are very caring and if anything happens, the manager lets us know straight away. We do feel listened to.”
Relatives told us they were informed when incidents occurred and said they were always made to feel welcome when visiting their family member. While some families said it could at times be difficult to contact their family member by phone, they spoke positively overall about the responsiveness of staff and management and felt confident raising concerns when needed.