Ashley Drive

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained Good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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 made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People's health, communication, social, cultural and emotional needs were assessed, regularly reviewed and reflected in their care plans. Care was delivered by staff who understood people's individual communication methods and preferences. Guidance within care plans was developed in partnership with people's relatives and those who knew them well. The guidance supported staff to recognise and interpret how people communicated their needs and wishes.

Information about people's changing needs, health and wellbeing was effectively shared between staff during shift handovers. Any concerns relating to people's health or wellbeing were highlighted, communicated to people’s relatives, and acted upon to ensure people received appropriate support. This meant people were effectively supported by staff who understood their needs.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

People's nutritional and hydration needs were assessed using recognised assessment tools and were regularly reviewed. People’s care and support was provided in line with identified needs and expected outcomes. For example, people who required modified diets consistently received food and drinks of the correct texture. People who were at risk of malnutrition were offered extra fortified snacks during the day. During the inspection, we observed people had access to food and drinks throughout the day and were offered choice in line with their preferences. Where required, people's fluid intake was monitored to support their health and reduce the risk of dehydration.

A professional told us about staff’s increased understanding of a person’s health needs in line with the person’s preferences. “Staff are still aware [person] may decline to eat; however, they are also aware on how this will impact on their long-term and short-term health and offer alternative management options to support this [person] meet their nutrition and hydration needs.”

People's skin integrity needs were assessed, and care plans provided staff with guidance on the application of prescribed creams and interventions to reduce the risk of skin breakdown. Staff worked in partnership with healthcare professionals to support and maintain people's skin integrity. For example, the service acquired specialist equipment to support a person to sleep without being disturbed for repositioning to protect their skin integrity.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

If a person needed to go to hospital, ‘Emergency grab sheets’ were in place, to support healthcare professionals in their assessments of a person’s needs. Staff always accompanied people to appointments at different services to support with communication needs and ensure people received care aligned with their preferences. The service had recently introduced a new electronic support system which ensured people could have hospital passports if required. This meant people could seek emergency treatment without delay.

We observed staff communicating well with each other about what had taken place during the inspection, including which tasks had been completed, and who was at appointments for the day. A professional told us, “I have only dealt with managers however they provide extensive information when visiting [the service].” Another professional told us, “Ashley Drive have implemented new handover note documents which I fill in at the end of each visit to support with record keeping and documentation of [Senior Leadership Team] SLT handover.” This meant people’s care was handed over effectively and staff were aware of people’s changing needs.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

People were supported to access a range of services to maintain their health and wellbeing, including optometry, dental, audiology and other specialist services, both within the service and in the wider community. Staff worked with healthcare professionals to ensure people's health needs were identified, monitored and responded to appropriately.

A professional told us, “During my recent visits to Ashley Drive, I have been made aware the service is focusing more on healthy eating – especially with [people] who may need more support in this area.”

People were supported to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing, including matters relating to women's health, such as managing symptoms associated with menopause.

People were encouraged and supported to maintain their independence and mobility wherever possible. Staff supported people to undertake exercises in line with professional guidance and care plans, helping to maintain strength, flexibility and physical wellbeing.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

People's care and treatment were planned and delivered in line with their assessed needs, preferences and wishes, and where appropriate, the views of their relatives and those important to them. People’s care plans were person-centred and included identified outcomes and goals important to them, such as accessing education and going out to the local community.

The environment was designed and adapted to meet people's individual needs. People's bedrooms, communal areas and sensory spaces were personalised and incorporated a range of colours, textures and sensory features. The service was accessible for people who used wheelchairs, supporting their independence and inclusion. Relatives visited regularly and spoke positively about the welcoming atmosphere within the service.

We observed people taking part in sensory activities which reflected their individual preferences and supported their wellbeing. We observed staff recognising and understanding individual’s different emotions, including happiness or distress. Staff promoted people's independence by encouraging them to do as much as possible for themselves. For example, we observed an experienced staff member reminding a newer team member of a person's mobility strengths, and the importance of supporting them to maintain these skills.

People's health outcomes were monitored in line with professional guidance. Staff followed individualised care plans and protocols to manage specific health conditions. For example, where people experienced epileptic seizures, staff followed personalised seizure management plans to support people's safety and wellbeing. A person’s relative told us, “[Person] is doing well now compared to when we started about a year ago… [they] are happy, eating and putting on weight.” This meant people were supported to experience a good quality of life, where their expected outcomes were monitored and reviewed to adapt to changes in health and wellbeing needs.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People were supported by staff who understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Best Interest Decisions. Appropriate assessments and decisions were recorded for people who did not have capacity to make day-to-day decisions about their lives. We observed people’s representatives visiting the service to discuss deputyship with their relatives.

A professional told us, “Staff at Ashley Drive have advocated for [people] to have formal mental capacity assessments and best interests’ meetings to [ensure] decisions made for [people] under their care best meet the needs of the [person] as an individual.”