Ashcroft Care Home

Updated 15 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 24 February 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 15 March 2022

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

This inspection took place on the 25 and 26 October 2018 and was unannounced. Ashcroft Care Home is a nursing home that provides 53 places for older people and people with Dementia. There were 49 persons in the home at the time of our inspection.

The service was last inspected 10 November 2015 and the rating for that inspection was Good.

There was a registered manager in post who was available throughout the inspection. 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 received safe care. Staff were aware of their responsibility to keep people safe. Risks were assessed and managed to reflect people’s current needs. Staffing levels were sufficient. Safe recruitment was followed to ensure staff the staff employed were suitable to care for people. People received their medicine as prescribed and this was administered by staff who were competent. The provider was following relevant guidance for infection control. Systems were in place to monitor accidents and incidents to identify any lessons learned and make improvements where required.

People received extremely good care that was effective to their needs. People were supported by staff who were knowledgeable and suitably trained. There was a strong emphasis to ensure people receive sufficient to eat and drink. People’s healthcare needs were monitored to ensure their day to day needs were met. The service involved people in decisions about their care. People used equipment and technology to ensure they could do things independently. The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). The service had an MCA champion who ensured people were given choices about who could provide their care and staff understood the requirements about consent and people’s capacity.

There was a strong person-centred culture throughout the service. Staff were sensitive to times when people needed caring and compassionate support. People were extremely positive about the caring nature of staff. People were treated with dignity and respect and their choices and preferences were adhered to.

Care was tailored to meet individual needs. People were supported without exception to lead meaningful and independent lives. Information was provided in formats that were accessible to people. Complaints and concerns were comprehensively recorded and fully Investigated with lessons learned and action taken appropriately.

The service was extremely well led, with a clear focus on person centred care, which empowered people and their relatives to make decisions about their care. Care planning involved people and their families to make their wishes known and enabled them to be as independent as possible. The quality assurance systems in place effectively monitored the service. The registered manager responded positively and was proactive to change and improving the service.