Ashton Court Residential 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 inadequate. 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.

This service scored 71 (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. People were included in decisions about their care, and their independence was promoted. Staff and leaders completed annual training in equality, diversity and inclusion. This enabled staff members to be respectful and treat people with dignity and respect.

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 was supported by a quality assurance and compliance manager, a deputy manager and a team of senior care workers. Since the last assessment they had worked with other professionals and staff to improve the service.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up, and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistle blowing policy and supported staff to raise concerns. Staff told us they felt at ease to raise issues and were confident that appropriate actions would be taken.

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. All staff completed training in equality and diversity. Staff felt comfortable to voice their opinions and felt the management team were approachable. Systems were in place to support staff out of office hours and at a weekend. Members of the management team were on call to support staff if required.

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. Since our last assessment the provider and management team had reviewed their governance processes. A range of audits were in place and used to identify areas of improvement. For example, a daily walk round was completed and was a full and comprehensive account of the service. The audit looked at staff on duty and dependency and sufficient numbers of staff available. Staff allocation and senior allocation sheets were completed to ensure staff knew where they were assigned to work. Any actions identified as a result of the audit process, were documented and followed up in a timely way. While we saw improvements in the governance systems, they require embedding into practice to show they are fully effective.

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. Since our last assessment the management team and staff had built up a good working relationship with external professionals. The provider and management team had taken appropriate steps to improve the service for people. This included working with partner agencies to achieve a positive outcome.

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. Since our last assessment the management team and provider had worked with external professionals to improve the service. A member of the management team said, “We have learnt from other managers and implemented new documentation. For example, the daily walk round audit has improved, which helps us identify issues better.” Staff told us they had listened to guidance from external professionals and had learnt how to improve the service. People and relatives told us the service had improved, and they had no concerns about the home.