Ashley Drive

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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.

We observed staff interacting with people in a kind, caring and compassionate manner throughout the inspection. Staff demonstrated warmth and empathy in their approach and took time to support people in a way which reassured them during periods of anticipated distress, for example, when a person was being supported to transfer between their specialised equipment.

People's relatives told us their loved ones were treated with dignity and respect. Care plans contained clear guidance for staff on how to support people in a way which protected their dignity and privacy. A person confirmed they felt they were looked after well. Relatives told us they were treated with kindness and compassion when visiting the service and were provided with privacy to spend time with their loved ones.

A person’s relative told us, “The new manager and [Person’s] team have been so supportive.” Another person’s relative told us, “Staff have always treated [Person] with dignity, respect and kindness. The positive relationships they have built with staff demonstrate the caring approach taken by the team.”

Professional partners spoke positively about their interactions with the service and told us they were treated respectfully and professionally. A professional told us, “The current staff wholeheartedly treat the residents with kindness and compassion.”

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.

People were supported to make decisions about how they spent their money on a day-to-day basis, and to access opportunities which reflected their interests. For example, people chose how to use their personal funds for meals out. People were supported to access their education where this formed part of their individual goals.

Care plans contained personalised routines which were based on people's individual needs, preferences and life experiences. These routines reflected how people had chosen to live in previous settings and provided consistency, predictability and familiarity. Guidance was in place to ensure these routines were followed consistently by all staff and across any providers involved in supporting the person. This ensured continuity of care and reduced the risk of distress for people who benefitted from structured support.

Care plans included detailed information about people's preferences, interests and what was important to them, such as their favourite music, films, activities and community outings. People celebrated their birthdays with parties at the service. This meant people received personalised support and meaningful opportunities which enhanced people's wellbeing and quality of life.

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

Care plans detailed how people liked to receive personal care, for example, how long they liked to have a shower, or whether they wore a fragrance. People were encouraged to make day-to-day decisions, for example, where they were going out for lunch. Where people were unable to make decisions, staff were guided by input from people’s relatives so they could present informed choices to help them decide. This meant people were supported to make decisions and had control over their day-to-day lives.

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.

We observed staff responding to people’s concern in a reassuring manner and showed a good understanding of people’s non-verbal cues of emotion or distress. A person’s relative told us, “[Staff] whom have been supporting [person] for a while have learnt and understand which each sign or expression means or implies.”

Care records showed staff responded to people’s distress, immediate needs or requests for help throughout the day and night, with staff using electronic technology to support monitoring in an un-obtrusive way which did not affect people’s sleep.

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

Staff were supported by management to discuss their wellbeing through regular supervision and team meetings. Staff were supported by individualised risk assessments and formal wellbeing packages when they had health-related problems which affected them coming to work.

Staff had access to an employee assistance programme (EAP). They were supported to carry out their roles by the management team, training, policies and procedures. This meant people were safely supported by staff in a caring environment who felt valued in their roles.