Ash Tree

Ratings

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Requires improvement

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

Date of Assessment: 26 February 2025 to 5 March 2025. We visited the service on 26 and 27 February 2025. The service is a residential care home providing support for up to 6 autistic people or people with a learning disability. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. The environment did not fully meet everyone’s needs and was not always well maintained in a timely manner. Governance systems were in place, but auditing systems did not always result in timely improvements being made. Care plans were personalised but required further development to ensure these fully reflected people’s needs and evidenced involvement and consultation with people and relatives. Medicines were administered safely and regularly reviewed. Effective systems were in place to protect people from abuse. The provider worked well with healthcare professionals. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular supervision to meet people’s needs and to maintain staff wellbeing. People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care, were supported in the least restrictive way, and were encouraged to maintain relationships with family and friends. Staff responded to people in a timely way. The registered manager was praised for being open and approachable and supportive of diversity. They and staff were committed to supporting people to achieve the best possible outcomes from their care.

People's experience of this service

We observed people were relaxed and their personal space was well maintained and personalised. A person told us, “I like living in the home and helping out (in the garden). I like all the staff here. I can get up and go to bed when I want to.” Relatives told us they felt their family members were safe and well cared for. They said, “I am very happy with the service that the home provides. I can visit when I want to and take [Name] out into the community. The staff are great and really seem to understand [Name’s] needs and requirements,” and “As long as [Name] is happy, I am happy and that's all that matters. I see staff every week and they keep me informed about what [Name] has been doing, and if any issues have occurred.” Although relatives felt they received good communication and information when they visited, they did not feel fully involved in care planning or reviews for their family members. The registered manager acted on this following our inspection visit. Some people could not directly tell us about their experience, therefore we observed staff interacting with people to assess whether they received good care. This approach showed staff knew people well and were able to communicate with them in their preferred way. People were included and listened to, and staff consistently interacted positively with them. Staff practice was person-centred and enabling. Staff supported people in a compassionate manner, recognising their individuality and demonstrated during their conversations how well they knew people. It was evident people were at ease with staff.