CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Ashlea Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, staffing and recruitment were safe, medicines were managed safely, and infection control procedures were in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- The report does not give a rating or detailed findings for Effective.
- Caring?
- Good
- The report does not give a rating or detailed findings for Caring, although people and relatives were described as positive about the care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans described people's routines, choices and support needs. Staff supported relationships, activities and communication, and complaints were used to improve care.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found regular audits, open management, staff support and opportunities for people, relatives and staff to give feedback.
What inspectors found, September 2023
Ashlea Lodge rated Good; inspectors found safe, responsive and well-led care, with Safe and Responsive improved since 2018.
One inspector made an unannounced visit on 29 June 2023. They spoke with the manager, three relatives and three staff members. They reviewed care and medicine records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Responsive and Well-led were each rated Good. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe recruitment, well-managed medicines, personalised care plans, infection control procedures and regular quality checks.
The report says the last rating, on 6 April 2018, was Good. Safe and Responsive had previously been Requires Improvement and improved to Good. Well-led remained Good. The report does not give ratings for Effective or Caring.
Risk management
People's risks and needs were assessed before care was provided and reviewed regularly. Staff had guidance for complex needs and positive behaviour support.
“Risks to people were assessed regularly and managed in a way that kept people safe.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans covered people's routines, preferences, health and emotional needs. People and relatives were involved in care planning.
“Care plans were in date and comprehensive, they detailed people's health, emotional, behavioural, medical, and mental health needs.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff were trained and assessed as competent to give medicines. Medicines were stored securely and checked by the manager.
“Medicines were managed safely. The registered manager carried out regular checks on people's medicines” from the report
Learning and oversight
The home investigated accidents and incidents, shared learning with staff and used audits to check care quality and safety.
“Lessons were learned from incidents and learning was shared with the staff team to prevent similar incidents occurring.” from the report
Activities and relationships
Staff supported people to keep important relationships and attend activities in the home, local community and elsewhere.
“Staff supported people to attend activities in the local community and maintain relationships that were important to them.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and update my relative's care plan, including their health, communication, mobility, memory and dietary needs?
- 02What activities and community visits would be available for my relative, and how would you support their existing relationships?
- 03How would you manage my relative's medicines, and how often are staff competency and medicine checks completed?
- 04How do you record and act on accidents, incidents, complaints or other concerns about my relative's care?
- 05How would you support my relative if they needed end of life care, including their cultural and personal wishes?
This inspection looked at Safe, Responsive and Well-led; the report does not give ratings for Effective or Caring. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 September 2023 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, November 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured that infection controls, cleanliness, PPE and staffing arrangements were in place.
Inspectors visited the home on 06 November 2020. This was an announced inspection focused on infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
They found social distancing was being followed, the home was very clean, and extra cleaning was taking place. Staff had training in infection control, and national guidance was followed for personal protective equipment.
People were supported to keep in touch with family by video and telephone because of local visiting restrictions. Staffing levels were maintained, including with agency staff who were trained and only worked at this home.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not provide a full quality rating and was limited to infection prevention and control under the Safe question.
Clean environment
The home was very clean, with extra cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.
“The environment was very clean. Additional cleaning was taking place, including of frequently touched surfaces.” from the report
Infection control training
Staff had training in infection prevention and control, with clear signs about PPE and handwashing.
“There was clear signage on the correct use of PPE and handwashing techniques, and staff had received appropriate training in infection prevention and control.” from the report
Social distancing
The home had made small furniture changes to support social distancing, and inspectors found the rules were being followed.
“Some minor changes had been made to the layout of furniture to encourage and support social distancing.” from the report
Family contact
During local visiting restrictions, staff helped people stay in touch with relatives by video and telephone.
“Local visiting restrictions were in place so people were supported to keep in touch with their family members via video or telephone calls.” from the report
Staffing
Staffing levels were maintained, including through agency staff who had suitable training and worked only at this home.
“Agency staff were appropriately trained and only worked at this service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visiting arrangements managed now, and how do you support people to keep in touch with their families?
- 02How do you check that permanent and agency staff follow infection prevention and control procedures?
- 03How often are frequently touched surfaces cleaned, and how is this recorded?
- 04How are new people admitted safely and tested for infections?
- 05What arrangements are in place to identify and manage an infection outbreak?
This was an announced inspection of infection prevention and control under the Safe question; no ratings were given for the service or the other key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 November 2020 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 Ashlea Lodge
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- September 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- April 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- February 2017Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 28 April 2016.
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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46 live-in carers within about an hour of Sunderland
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 £950 to £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.