Ashurst Park Care Home

Updated 10 April 2025

We carried out this fully comprehensive inspection to Ashurst Park Care Home on 2 June 2025. We inspected the service to follow up on the breaches of regulation and the enforcement action we took following our last visit. Ashurst Park Care Home is a service which provides nursing care and accommodation for up to 53 people. Some people were living with dementia and other people had complex health needs.

There were also people at the service who had a learning disability and as such, we have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture (RSRCRC)’ statutory guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. RSRCRC guidance supports person-centred care that promotes choice, inclusion, control, and independence. It emphasizes treating people with a learning disability and autistic people equitably and as whole individuals, not just diagnosis.

The registered manager had improved risk management within the service. Staff were well-trained and reported safeguarding concerns when necessary. However, we found guidance in some people’s care plans could be clearer and more detailed. The service was clean, well maintained and checked for its safety. Staff worked well as a team and went through a robust recruitment process. Improvements had been made to the medicine practices.

People’s needs were assessed prior to them moving in though the registered manager had not considered the RSRCRC statutory guidance in relation to people with learning disabilities. Staff worked with external professionals to support people’s care. Through the input of staff, some people experienced significant health improvements. Staff were trained in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and appropriate legal safeguards were in place where relevant.

Positive changes had been made since the last inspection and staff told us they felt fully supported by management. The registered manager had created a strong positive culture where staff’s focus was people living at the service to help ensure they received high quality care. However, further work was needed to embed RSRCRC for those people living with a learning disability.

At this inspection, we found the registered manager was breaching the requirements around capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders as they had not recognised the need to comply with the RSRCRC statutory guidance.

Updated 10 April 2025

Without exception people and their relatives gave positive feedback about the care being provided at Ashurst Park Care Home. They told us staff showed them kindness, empathy, and respect and that staff had created a warm, person-centred atmosphere at the service where nothing was too much trouble.

People were generally treated as individuals though people with a learning disability were not always being supported to live their lives to their fullest and some people’s care plans lacked important information such as their life history. Equally, there was little evidence to demonstrate that people with a learning disability were given the opportunity to feedback about their care and the service as a whole.

People who were able to speak with us said they felt safe living at the service and that staff were always present and responded quickly to their needs. People received the medicines they required. People who were able to speak with us felt they could give their feedback about the service and as a result of a residents survey, changes were made to the menu.

People who were able to speak with us said they lived in a clean environment, and they were able to personalise their rooms. They were supported with their independence and able to make their own choices and decisions. People who were able to speak with us said activities were provided which they enjoyed. They also said they saw the registered manager was present who spoke with and listened to them.

Whilst the feedback we received was positive with most people telling us they were happy living at Ashurst Park Care Home, there were shortfalls in the RSRCRC principles particularly around communication and individualised activities for people with a learning disability.