Ash 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 newly registered 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 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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Relatives told us they felt staff treated their family members with kindness and respect. They spoke positively about the way staff interacted with people and described staff as caring and attentive to people’s needs. One relative told us, “They are very caring staff’.

We observed positive interactions between staff and people. Staff spoke to people in a calm, respectful manner and took time to engage with them. Support was delivered in a way that promoted people’s dignity, including respecting personal space and privacy during day‑to‑day care. For example, we saw staff supporting a person to go into the garden, checking they were comfortable, staying close by, and offering reassurance while allowing the person to move at their own pace.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s individual needs and preferences and used this knowledge to provide support in a considerate and person‑centred way. Where people required reassurance or encouragement, staff responded patiently and sensitively.

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.

Relatives told us staff knew their family members well and took time to understand what mattered to them. Relatives felt they were involved with the care that was delivered that reflected people’s needs, preferences, and routines. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of what was important to each person and described how they adapted their approach to meet individual communication and support needs. One staff member told us, “We support and adapt to meet their individual needs.”

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

Relatives told us they felt people were listened to and supported to make choices that mattered to them, which helped promote independence and confidence. One relative told us, “They prepare the food, but they let her choose, so she always gets a choice.”

People were supported to have choice and control over their day‑to‑day lives. During the inspection, interactions were generally calm and low‑level, which reflected people’s needs. Staff responded appropriately and did not rush people, which supported people to remain in control of their routines. One staff member told us, “We support people to choose what they want to do each day and take their lead as much as possible.”

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.

Relatives told us that staff were responsive and took action when people needed support, helping people feel safe and cared for. The registered manager told us they had systems in place which provided an on-call system to contact the office in emergency situations.

Staff explained how they adjusted their approach when people were unsettled or required additional support. One staff member told us, “If someone is upset or needs reassurance, we respond straight away and adapt how we support them.”

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

Staff told us they felt supported in their roles, and arrangements were in place to promote workforce wellbeing and enablement.

Staff said they were able to raise concerns or seek guidance when needed. The registered manager explained that regular governance meetings and supervision sessions were used to support staff wellbeing, provide opportunities for reflection, and address issues affecting staff practice. Supervision was planned on a 2 monthly basis, with additional sessions available where staff required further support.