CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Ashleigh House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2018
Ashleigh House was rated Good overall, with kind and personalised care, but emergency equipment and specialist medicine storage needed attention.
Inspectors carried out a comprehensive announced inspection on 8 March 2018. They observed care, spoke with family members, staff, the manager and health professionals, and reviewed care records, staff files and safety checks.
The home supported four adults with learning and physical disabilities. Inspectors found people were safe, their health needs were met, and staff understood their communication, choices and routines. Families described people as happy and settled.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall rating remained Good, as it had been at the previous inspection. Inspectors did identify that emergency equipment was not easy to reach and some medicines did not yet have the required specialist storage.
Personalised communication
Staff understood people's non-verbal communication and used different methods, including sign language, to support choice and understanding.
“A health care professional with knowledge of people said, "Staff understand (people's) communication well.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw friendly, relaxed contact. Staff respected people's privacy and supported them in ways that reflected their preferences.
“All engagements between staff and people using the service were friendly, relaxed and made people feel valued and cared for.” from the report
Active lives
People took part in activities suited to their interests and abilities, including outings, sailing, shopping, eating out and arts and crafts.
“People had opportunities for meaningful occupation in accordance with their abilities and interests.” from the report
Detailed care planning
Care plans contained information about people's routines, preferences, happiness and safety needs. They were reviewed with people who knew them best.
“Support plans were well organised with information easy to find and containing in-depth information relevant to the person.” from the report
Emergency equipment was not easy to reach
needs fixingThe emergency grab bag and personal evacuation plans were kept behind a coded door in a first-floor office. Inspectors recommended that the provider review these arrangements.
“This meant that important equipment and information might not be readily to hand in an emergency.” from the report
Specialist medicine storage was not yet in place
needs fixingMedicine records, protocols and administration were described as safe, but some medicines needed specialist storage that had not yet been installed. The provider was making changes.
“This was not in place, but arrangements were in progress to get the specialist storage cupboard required.” from the report
- 01Where are the emergency grab bag and each person's evacuation plan kept now, and can staff reach them immediately?
- 02Has the required specialist medicine storage cupboard now been installed?
- 03What is the current staffing level, and has the home reached its required staffing numbers?
- 04What alternatives are being considered to reduce the restrictions created by the many keypad doors?
This was a comprehensive announced inspection covering all five CQC questions, with observations, discussions and reviews of records and safety information. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 March 2018 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 Ashleigh House
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 July 2014.
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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76 live-in carers within about two hours of Somerset
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 £1,020 to £1,370 a week. 62 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
“She was not phased by anything, she was adaptable, kind & gave us complete confidence to go away & not worry about a thing!”
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.