CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Ability Ash Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Staff understood safeguarding duties, risks were regularly reviewed and there were enough trained staff. Medicines records were clear and up to date.
- Effective?
- Good
- People received support suited to their needs and choices. Staff had relevant training, and people were supported with nutrition, healthcare and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors saw kind, respectful interactions. People were supported to communicate, make choices and maintain privacy, dignity and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support plans included people's preferences, interests and goals and were regularly reviewed. Complaints were recorded and followed up appropriately.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers and staff shared a clear focus on people's health and wellbeing. Quality checks, staff meetings and feedback were used to support improvement.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Ability Ash Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas.
Inspectors visited on 8 and 9 April 2019. They observed care, spoke with managers and staff, contacted a relative and a health professional, and reviewed support plans, medicines records, incidents and quality checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse, risks were managed, staffing was sufficient and medicines were handled safely.
People were supported to make choices, stay active, access healthcare and maintain relationships. Staff were described as kind and respectful, support plans were personalised, and managers showed an open approach to learning and improvement.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff with suitable training and recruitment checks. Staffing could be adjusted when people's needs changed.
“Staff were sufficient in number and trained to be able to give care that met people's needs.” from the report
Personalised support
Support plans reflected people's preferences, dislikes, communication needs and goals. People were supported to take part in activities and relationships.
“People were supported to live full and active lives.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people as individuals and supported privacy, dignity and independence. Inspectors saw positive interactions throughout the visit.
“We observed kind and caring interactions between staff and people throughout our inspection.” from the report
Open leadership
Managers and staff were described as open, supportive and willing to improve. Incidents, feedback and quality audits were reviewed.
“There was a passionate culture for change and improvement seen in all staff.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you support my relative if they needed end of life care, given that no one was receiving this care during the inspection?
- 02How do you make sure agency staff understand my relative's needs, risks and communication methods before working with them?
- 03How will my relative be involved in reviewing their support plan and expressing choices in a way they understand?
- 04What staffing arrangements would be put in place if my relative's needs or behaviour changed?
- 05How would you support my relative to keep active, attend appointments and maintain family relationships?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions; it looked at personal care and support, not the premises used for supported living or domiciliary care. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 May 2019 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Ability Ash Lodge
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 December 2010.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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62 live-in carers within about an hour of Derbyshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,010 to £1,260 a week. 51 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Ernest is an amazing professional carer who delivers care from the heart.”
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.