CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Ashley House Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing infections, using protective equipment safely, carrying out testing and keeping its infection control policy up to date.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, November 2020
Ashley House Residential Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection prevention and control arrangements.
Inspectors visited on 14 October 2020. This was an announced, targeted inspection during the coronavirus pandemic. It looked only at infection prevention and control.
Inspectors found systems to reduce the spread of infection. These included screening visitors, hand sanitiser, face masks, staff training, effective use of protective equipment, cleaning checks and regular COVID-19 testing.
The home supported people to keep in touch with relatives and friends through calls, social media and planned outdoor visits. Inspectors also found the home was clean and that staff understood the updated infection control procedures.
The service was inspected but not rated. This was not a full inspection of all five areas of care, so it does not give an overall quality rating.
Infection prevention
Visitors were screened and required to use face masks and hand sanitiser. Staff had training in protective equipment, hand hygiene and COVID-19 procedures.
“We were assured that the provider was preventing visitors from catching and spreading infections.” from the report
Safe visiting and contact
People were supported to stay in touch with friends and relatives through calls, social media and planned outdoor visits.
“People were supported to keep in contact with friends and relatives through telephone calls, social media and outdoor visits via an appointment system.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean, with regular cleaning of frequently touched areas and clean bathrooms, laundry and sluice rooms.
“The home was clean and there were no malodours.” from the report
Testing and outbreak planning
Staff were tested weekly and people living in the home were tested monthly. The home had arrangements for isolation and for managing positive results.
“Tests for COVID-19 were carried out weekly for staff and monthly for people living at the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection prevention and control arrangements are in place now, and how are they checked?
- 02How are visitors currently screened and supported to use protective equipment and hand hygiene?
- 03How are people supported to keep in contact with relatives when visits are restricted?
- 04How often are staff and residents tested, and what happens after a positive result?
- 05What were the service's ratings for caring, effective, responsive and well-led care at its most recent full inspection?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated and the other areas of care were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 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.
What inspectors found, November 2017
Ashley House Residential Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and outstanding support for people living with dementia.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 31 October 2017. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed meals, a staff handover and part of a medicines round. They also reviewed care plans, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. It was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive. Inspectors found that people were safe, supported by trained staff, treated with kindness and involved in decisions about their care.
The home had improved its medicines management since the previous inspection in October 2015. The earlier breach relating to safe medicines management was no longer present. Inspectors did find some missing signatures on records for topical creams, but staff acted immediately after this was raised.
Dementia support
The home used personalised activities and Namaste Care to support people with advanced dementia. Inspectors saw people enjoying massage, music, reflection and calm time.
“The service continued to be outstandingly responsive in the innovative manner in which the needs of people living with dementia were met.” from the report
Safe care
Risks such as falls, choking and pressure ulcers were assessed and managed. Staffing levels were checked against people's needs.
“Processes were in place to ensure people's medicines were ordered, stored, administered, recorded and disposed of safely.” from the report
Kind relationships
Staff knew people's personal histories and made time to engage with them. People were supported with dignity, privacy and communication.
“People experienced positive and caring relationships with staff.” from the report
Listening to people
Managers sought people's views through informal meetings, reviews and feedback forms. Feedback was used to make changes.
“Any feedback received was used to identify how peoples' experience could be improved.” from the report
Incomplete cream records
minorTwo people's records for topical creams had gaps in staff signatures. Inspectors found evidence in daily notes that the care had been given, and the home took immediate action to remind staff and strengthen checks.
“We noted on two people's topical cream MARs there were some gaps in staff signatures and therefore, there was not a complete record.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that topical cream records are signed and complete?
- 02What staffing levels are in place on mornings, afternoons and nights, and how are they adjusted when people's needs change?
- 03How would you use Namaste Care and other dementia activities to support my relative's interests and personal history?
- 04How do you involve relatives in care plan reviews and decisions about activities or meals?
- 05How do you monitor falls, pressure ulcer risks, nutrition and hydration for each person?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 November 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 Ashley House Residential Care Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Ashley House Residential Care Home →
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Ashley House Residential Care Home →
- November 2015GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 16 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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Most charge £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
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