Ashill Lodge Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

At our previous inspection, we identified a breach of Regulation 17 (Good Governance). At this inspection, we found sufficient improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

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 had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities. The management team had developed a positive team culture. Staff told us the registered manager was supportive. One staff member said, “Staff morale is generally good. We work well as a team and support each other to provide good care.”

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty. The registered manager had good oversight of the service. They had effectively acted on areas of improvement that were highlighted in our last assessment. The management team worked closely and effectively together. One staff member told us, “Yes, I feel supported in my role. I receive regular supervision and appraisals where I can discuss my work, raise concerns, and identify any training or development needs.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place. Staff knew how to report concerns. One relative said, “I recently filled in an online survey.” Where concerns were raised, these were addressed promptly and appropriately, with feedback indicating that people felt listened to and informed of outcomes.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. Staff told us they worked well as a team. One staff member told us, “It is a good place to work. I enjoy caring for residents, helping improve their quality of life and working with a supportive team.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. The effectiveness of governance systems had much improved. Monthly meetings were held to review findings from audits and service oversight. This ensured that issues identified were addressed appropriately and people's care needs were continued to be met.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. The registered manager told us how they worked with healthcare professionals such as the GP and GP Matron. One person living at the service required medical support, the service was not satisfied with the response and escalated their concerns, this prompted an appropriate medical intervention that ensured their health needs were met. One health care professional told us, “Staff demonstrate a comprehensive, person-centred understanding of individual needs. Clinical recommendations are consistently documented and carried out/implemented. The home is managed with a high degree of professionalism and care. I would say the service is proactive in managing people's needs, identifying concerns before they become an issue.”

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. The management team and staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of learning from incidents and audits. Lessons learnt were shared with the staff team in team meetings and handovers to support continuous improvement and ensure people received safe and effective care.