Archived: Ashley Court

Updated 12 March 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was conducted by one inspector and an Expert by Experience with experience of care of people with physical disabilities. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type: Ashley Court is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection: The inspection was unannounced.

What we did:

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority. We assessed the information we require providers to

send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection, we spoke with nine people who used the service to ask about their experience of the care provided. We observed staff providing support to people in the communal areas of the service. This was so we could understand people's experiences. By observing the care received, we could determine whether or not they were comfortable with the support they were provided with.

We spoke with five members of staff including support workers, a senior support worker, a cook and a housekeeper. We also spoke with the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records about people's care and how the service was managed. This included looking at two people's care records and three people’s medicines administration records. We reviewed records of meetings, staff rotas and staff training records. We also reviewed the records of accidents, incidents, complaints and quality assurance audits the management team had completed.

Updated 12 March 2019

About the service:

Ashley Court is a residential care home for up to 15 adults with a physical disability. It provides care to people who require accommodation and personal care. Accommodation is provided on the ground floor of a building with privately rented flats above. The provider had just registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide personal care for up to five people in the adjoining flats.

People’s experience of using this service:

People using the service benefitted from responsive care that was outstanding. People told us of how staff supported them to live full lives and spoke with enthusiasm about the activities they were involved in, on an on-going basis. Care was exceptionally individualised and tailored to the needs and wishes of the people using the service. Services were delivered in a way that was flexible, provided choice and ensured continuity of care. People were truly placed at the centre of the service and were consulted and involved at every level.

People felt safe living at the service and staff were aware of action needed to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. Staff reported accidents and incidents and responded appropriately to changes in risks. Processes were in place for the safe management of people’s medicines and people told us they received their medicines regularly. Staffing levels were planned to meet the needs of people using the service and reviewed regularly.

Staff were supported to deliver effective care and received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge they required. They received regular supervision and appraisal. Staff ensured people had access to healthcare services by making appropriate and timely referrals and following their recommendations and advice. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and obtained the necessary consent for the care and support provided.

People continued to receive care from staff who were kind and compassionate in their approach. People’s relationships with staff were very positive. People felt supported and it was apparent from our discussions with staff and observations throughout the inspection, that staff cared about them and their well-being. People were involved when their care plans were reviewed and were actively involved in decision making in relation to their care and support.

The service continued to be well led and benefitted from clear and consistent leadership. People were at the centre of quality assurance processes and we found a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Action plans were in place to address findings from audits and were continually reviewed and updated.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 21 July 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.