CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Ammersall Court
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found enough suitable staff, safe recruitment, well-managed risks and safe support with medicines.
- Effective?
- Outstanding
- People received support that achieved very good outcomes. Staff were well trained, involved people in food and care choices, and supported health, independence and decision-making.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff were exceptionally kind and respectful. People were involved in their care, and their privacy, dignity, equality and independence were upheld.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Support was tailored to people's needs, wishes and communication styles. People were encouraged to maintain relationships, take part in activities and pursue ambitious personal goals.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found exceptional leadership and a strong person-led culture. The home used feedback, audits and partnerships with other organisations to improve people's lives.
What inspectors found, October 2019
Ammersall Court was rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found exceptional care, choice and leadership, with safety rated Good.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 31 July 2019. They spoke with eight people living at the home, two relatives, two social workers and seven staff. They also reviewed care, medicine, recruitment, training, complaints and management records.
People told inspectors they were very happy and felt safe. Staff knew people well and supported them to make choices, build skills and become more independent. Care was described as highly personal, kind and respectful.
The home supported people to take part in activities, keep relationships and pursue their goals. Inspectors also found strong training, safe medicine systems, enough staff and effective learning from incidents and feedback.
The overall rating was Outstanding. Effective, caring, responsive and well-led were rated Outstanding. Safe was rated Good. The previous overall rating, published in December 2016, was Good.
Kind and respectful staff
People were treated with warmth, dignity and respect. Inspectors saw strong relationships between people and staff.
“Staff showed exceptional standards of kindness towards the people they supported.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make everyday choices and take carefully considered risks. They were encouraged to pursue interests, friendships and personal ambitions.
“The registered manager encouraged a 'Nothing is impossible' attitude to people's goals and aspirations” from the report
Strong leadership
The service had a clear person-led culture. Leaders gathered people's views and used them to shape how the home was run.
“The registered manager and staff demonstrated exemplary person-centred practice.” from the report
Good safety systems
Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe recruitment and safe medicine management. The home also reviewed accidents and incidents to reduce future risks.
“There were enough suitable, trained staff and they were very attentive to people's needs.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are people currently supported to manage or be involved in managing their own medicines?
- 02How do you support people to take positive risks while keeping them safe?
- 03How are people's personal goals, activities and relationships recorded and reviewed?
- 04How do people and their families give feedback, and what recent changes have been made as a result?
- 05How do you make information accessible for people with different communication needs?
This was an unannounced, planned inspection covering all five CQC questions and both the accommodation and care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 October 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.
What inspectors found, February 2017
Ammersall Court was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with menus needing more thought.
Inspectors visited on 31 January and 1 February 2017. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and managers. They also observed care and checked care records, medicines, staff records and quality checks.
All five areas were rated Good. People told inspectors they felt safe and were treated with respect. Staff supported people to make choices, stay independent, take part in activities and keep in touch with people important to them.
The home had improved since the 2015 inspection, when it was rated Requires Improvement and was in breach of one regulation. Cleaning and infection control had improved, and the report found the home met the required standards at this inspection. Inspectors noted that menus needed further consideration to provide a well-balanced diet.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe. The home had safeguarding arrangements, risk assessments, emergency plans and suitable staffing.
“There were systems in place to safeguard people from avoidable harm and staff had been trained in safeguarding procedures.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors observed warm, respectful interactions and support for people's privacy and choices.
“People were supported by staff who were kind, caring, friendly and respectful.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded people's preferences, goals and ways of communicating. Staff supported people to make choices and keep as much independence as possible.
“We found people who used the service received personalised care and support.” from the report
Activities and independence
People were supported to take part in activities at home and in the community, including social events, meals, sport and theatre visits.
“People had access to a wide range of activities that were provided both in-house and in the community.” from the report
Improved cleanliness
Inspectors found better cleaning and infection control than at the previous inspection. New kitchenettes and utility facilities were easier to clean.
“At this inspection we found improvements had been made to ensure the service was clean and well maintained.” from the report
Quality checks
The home used audits and feedback to identify actions and monitor improvements. Staff, people and relatives could raise concerns and share their views.
“The provider's quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive continuous improvements.” from the report
Menus needed review
needs fixingInspectors found that people's nutritional needs were assessed, but the weekly menus needed more thought to ensure they were well balanced.
“However, menus required further consideration to ensure a well-balanced diet for people using the service.” from the report
Older shower facilities
minorCleaning had improved, but inspectors said the age of some shower facilities made them increasingly difficult to maintain. The manager said replacement was planned during 2017/18.
“However, these were increasingly difficult to maintain due to the age of the facilities.” from the report
- 01How have you changed the menus since the inspection to make sure meals are well balanced?
- 02What progress has been made with replacing the older shower facilities?
- 03What is the current position on the DoLS applications that were still awaiting decisions at the time of the inspection?
- 04How will you support my relative to keep their independence and continue activities they enjoy?
- 05How can my relative and our family raise concerns, and how will we be told what action has been taken?
This was an overall inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the first day unannounced; inspectors spoke with six people, three relatives and six care staff and reviewed selected records and systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 February 2017 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 Ammersall Court
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Outstanding.
- October 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- February 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 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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