We carried out a review of the data available to us about Aashna House Residential Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Aashna House Residential Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Aashna House Residential Care Home is a care home that provides nursing or personal care for up to 38 older people. At the time of our inspection there were 38 people using the service including those living with dementia. The care home accommodates people in one building on the ground, and first floor.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People using the service and relatives told us that the home was a safe place to live and staff said it was a safe place to work in. They were particularly complimentary about how kind staff were. Risks to people and staff were regularly assessed and reviewed. This meant people could take acceptable risks, live safely, and enjoy their lives. Accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns were reported, investigated and recorded. Staff were appropriately recruited and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Trained staff safely administered medicines. The home used Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) effectively and safely and the infection prevention and control policy was up to date.
The home’s management and leadership were transparent with an open, positive and honest culture. The provider had a vision and values that were clearly set out, staff understood, and they followed. Areas of responsibility and accountability were identified, and a good service maintained and reviewed. Thorough audits were in place and records kept up to date. Community links and working partnerships were established and kept up to minimise the risk of social isolation for people. The provider met Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration requirements. Healthcare professionals told us that the service was well managed and met people’s needs in a professional, open and friendly way.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 22 October 2019). The overall rating for the service remains good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
We did not inspect the key questions of effective, caring and responsive.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Aashna House Residential Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
We found the following examples of good practice.
The provider had built a pod for designated visitors which had a separate entrance. The provider also had a visiting pod with a screen; and a designated area where visitors were tested for COVID-19. There were hand sanitising facilities at the entrance of the home and a station for donning personal protective equipment (PPE). Visitors were supported to follow national guidance on PPE and social distancing. People were supported to speak to their families on the phone or via video call. The provider had introduced virtual consultations to reduce the need for external visitors to the home.
The provider held a weekly virtual cruise to support the wellbeing of people and staff during the pandemic.
People were supported to maintain social distancing whilst in communal areas. There was adequate stock of PPE and hand sanitiser at strategic locations around the home. Staff were provided with a clean uniform when they came on duty. We observed staff wearing appropriate PPE throughout our visit.
The provider had arrangements in place to test both people and staff for COVID-19, in line with the current guidelines on testing.
The provider had clear protocols for people who were infected with COVID-19, and for people who had been admitted to the home from hospital or the community.
Staff who were more vulnerable to COVID-19 were supported and risk assessed to ensure staff and people remained safe.
Aashna House Residential Care Home is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 38 older people. The provider is Sanctuary Care Limited and the home is situated in the Streatham area of south London.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People said living at the home was a very nice experience and staff said it was a good place to work. Everyone felt the home was a safe place to live and work in. Any risks to people were assessed, enabling them to enjoy their lives and take acceptable risks, whilst living safely. The home reported, investigated and recorded accidents and incidents and safeguarding concerns. There were suitable numbers of staff appropriately recruited to meet people’s needs. Medicine was safely administered.
People’s equality and diversity needs were met, and they did not experience discrimination. They were spoken to by well-trained and supervised staff in a clear way, that they could understand. Staff encouraged people to discuss their health needs and they had access to community-based health care professionals. People were protected, by staff, from nutrition and hydration risks and were encouraged to choose healthy and balanced diets that also met their likes, dislikes and preferences. The premises were adapted to meet people’s needs. Transition between services was based on people’s needs and best interests.
The home was warm and welcoming and had a friendly atmosphere with staff providing care and support in a way people liked. The staff we met were caring and compassionate. Positive interactions took place between people, staff and each-other throughout our visit. Staff observed people’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality and encouraged and supported them to be independent. People had access to advocates, if required.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People’s needs were assessed, reviewed and they received person centred care. They had choices, pursued their interests and hobbies and did not suffer from social isolation. People were provided with information; to make decisions and end of life wishes were identified. Complaints were investigated and recorded.
The home’s culture was open, positive and honest with transparent management and leadership. There was a clear organisational vision and values. Service quality was reviewed frequently, and areas of responsibility and accountability established. Audits were carried out and records kept up to date. Good community links and working partnerships were established. Registration requirements were met.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at the last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was good (published 10 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Aashna House Residential Care Home was last inspected on 8 May 2014. The service met all the regulations inspected at that time.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were safe at the service. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns of abuse to help keep people safe. Assessments were carried out on risks to people’s needs and their well-being. Staff had sufficient guidance to manage identified risks appropriately and without restricting people’s freedom.
Staff followed the procedure on incident and accident reporting to ensure people were protected from the risk of avoidable harm. People were supported to take their medicines in a safe and timely manner by competent staff. Medicines were stored, recorded and disposed of safely and appropriately.
Staff had the relevant knowledge and skills to support people. Staff received regular supervision and appraisal meetings to monitor their performance and professional development. Staff used feedback from these meetings to improve their practice. Staff received on-going training to enable them meet people’s needs. The provider safely recruited staff and involved people in the selection and recruitment process. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. An appropriate skills mix enabled staff who shared similar cultural backgrounds and conversed using the main four languages spoken at the service including Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati and Hindi to support people effectively.
People received appropriate support to make decisions relating to their care in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People were asked for their consent before they received care.
People had sufficient food to eat and drink. Staff supported people to plan their meals and took into account their cultural and religious preferences. People enjoyed the meals provided at the service. Staff respected people’s religious and cultural beliefs when preparing their food. People received specialist advice about nutrition from healthcare professionals when needed. People accessed healthcare services and had regular reviews of their health.
People were happy with the support and care they received. People and their relatives had positive relationships with staff. People were supported to develop their daily living skills and to live an active life. Staff were respectful of people’s privacy and dignity. People were treated with kindness and respect.
People and their relatives where appropriate were involved in planning people’s care and support. Care plans were personalised. People’s language and cultural needs were met. People were supported by staff who understood their health conditions and related risks. Support plans were in place to guide staff on how to meet people’s needs.
People were encouraged to give their views about the quality of care. The registered manager used their feedback to develop the service.
People and their relatives understood how to raise a complaint. They had access to the complaints procedure in languages they could understand. The registered manager had investigated and resolved complaints in line with the provider’s complaints procedure.
People and their relatives said the registered manager was approachable. The service had a positive and open culture. People and their relatives made positive comments about the registered manager and staff. The registered manager used audit systems effectively to monitor the service and made improvements when necessary. The service had close links with healthcare professionals and organisations to develop the service.
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what people using the service, their relatives and the staff and two healthcare professionals told us about the service. If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.
Is the service safe?
Staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and were aware of how to report concerns about people's safety. Discussions had been held with people who lived at the service about keeping safe and their right to be protected from harm. People told us they felt safe and they believed, "there are no bad people in this home." They said they would inform the manager, staff or relatives if they felt they or others were at risk, and they believed action would be taken.
Is the service effective?
The service addressed people's needs effectively and involved specialists to ensure they were fully informed about how to meet people's particular needs. For example they involved specialists in particular health conditions, such as diabetes, to make sure that their care met the best current practice.
Care records, discussions with people and health professionals confirmed that the staff team was knowledgeable and effective in meeting people's needs. We heard how some people's conditions had improved since coming to live at Aashna House.
Is the service caring?
We observed interaction between staff and people living at the service. They spoke to people in a kindly, patient and respectful way. People who lived at Aashna House described staff as, "kind" and "caring."
Is the service responsive to people's needs?
The service provided a specialist service which responded to the cultural, linguistic and religious needs of the people who lived there, as well as their social and physical needs. People were pleased to be part of the service which understood the range of their needs and responded appropriately to them. Several people told us, "they look after us well."
Is the service well-led?
The service was well led. The manager of the service is knowledgeable and experienced. There were systems in place to ensure that the service provided good quality care which took into account health and safety and people's views. The provider carried out checks on the quality of the service. Staff were well trained and supported in their roles. .
People told us they were satisfied with the care they received at Aashna House. We were told that the staff were respectful, caring and helpful. Comments we received included "I like being able to speak my language with staff." Several people commented on the quality of the food saying that they enjoyed it and had plenty of choice at meal times.
A visitor told us that it was important to them that their relative was provided with care that "fitted with their culture, their language and religion". Another visitor told us they felt the home was "a high quality and caring place" where staff understood the needs of the people who lived there.
Staff told us they were happy in their work, felt supported and were provided with appropriate training to help them in their roles.
People told us if they had concerns they would feel confident to raise them with the manager at the service.
We were told that the house is, "A pleasant place to live in" and staff told us that they enjoyed working there.
We saw that people were given choices, they were respected and well cared for.
We saw that the staff who were on duty were skilled and experienced.