Archived: Ashwood Park Residential and Nursing Home

Ashwood Park is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Ashwood Park accommodates 65 people in one adapted building across five separate units. One of the units specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. On the day of our inspection there were 62 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like 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.

We last inspected the service in December 2015 and rated the service as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and met all the fundamental standards we inspected against.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and risk assessments were in place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe administration and storage of medicines.

The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service, and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant vetting checks when they employed staff.

Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of people being supported during visits to and from external health care specialists.

People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Ashwood Park.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible. Care plans were in place that recorded people’s plans and wishes for their end of life care.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were written in a person-centred way. Person-centred means ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support plans and their individual wishes, needs and choices are taken into account.

Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests and to help meet their social needs.

The provider had an effective complaints procedure in place and people who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint.

The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place. Staff said they felt supported by the registered manager. People who used the service, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service via meetings and surveys.

We spoke with people who used the services at Ashwood Park and their relatives who were visiting them. One person said "They treat (my relative) with respect' and another person said 'It's marvellous here. The people (staff) are so kind.'

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received. One person told us "This is the best place I've been in' and another person said 'I wouldn't like to go anywhere else but here now.'

People said they felt safe at Ashwood Park and with the care staff employed by the service. One person told us 'They (the staff) come around and talk and ask how you are doing.' All of the staff we spoke with during the inspection were familiar with safeguarding procedures.

We spoke with seven people who lived in the home about medicines and none of them raised any concerns about the way their medicines were handled. Comments from people included; 'I am looked after well', 'wouldn't be anywhere else' and 'they help me with my medicines, no problems there'. We found it difficult to get the views of a number of people due to their health and complex mental condition.

Overall, we found that medicines were handled safely.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.

We spoke with five people who used the service within the home. We saw they were able to express their views freely. All the people we spoke with said they were happy at Ashwood Park. People told us 'The staff are very caring' and 'The lovely meals are done on the premises.' Other comments included 'The d'cor could be updated but it is being updated now' and 'I'm not afraid to complain if there was a complaint; not that there is any complaints.'

We also spoke with two relatives of people who lived at the home. Both were very satisfied with the care their relative received. They were complimentary of the care staff and felt fully engaged with the recently appointed manager.