Skip to content
The Care Home DirectoryEvery care home in England

CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Ashwood Place

Goodpublished 13 November 2019, 6 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors were assured about most infection prevention arrangements, including PPE, testing, visiting and outbreak management. They were only somewhat assured about the cleanliness of the premises because some areas needed cleaning.
Effective?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
Caring?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
Responsive?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
Well-led?
Good
This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, March 2022

Inspected but not rated; inspectors found mostly good infection control but identified cleaning needed in the sensory room and outside areas.

This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 16 February 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control during a COVID-19 outbreak, and asked about staffing pressures.

The home had measures to manage COVID-19 risks. Staff used protective equipment correctly, visitors were tested and checked before entry, and people were supported to keep in touch with relatives when visits were restricted.

Inspectors were assured about most infection control arrangements. However, they were only somewhat assured about the cleanliness of the premises because the sensory room needed deep cleaning and rubbish needed clearing from the garden and driveway.

The service was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a rated result for Safe.

What inspectors praised
  • Use of protective equipment

    Staff had training in using PPE and inspectors found they used it correctly. Staff also said they had enough supplies.

    “Staff had received training on how to use PPE. Staff used PPE correctly and told us they had access to plenty of supply.” from the report
  • Visiting and contact

    The home followed guidance when visits were restricted during the outbreak. People were supported to keep in touch with relatives by telephone and video calls.

    “Maintaining contact by use of telephone and video calls was also used.” from the report
  • Infection control arrangements

    Inspectors were assured about testing, admissions, shielding, social distancing, PPE and managing outbreaks.

    “We were assured that the provider was making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managed.” from the report
  • Clean internal areas

    Most internal areas were clean and tidy, with frequent cleaning of surfaces that people often touch.

    “The service was clean and tidy in most internal areas. Staff regularly cleaned frequently touched surfaces.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Cleaning needed

    needs fixing

    The sensory room needed deep cleaning. Rubbish also needed clearing from the garden and driveway.

    “the sensory room required deep cleaning and external areas of the home required cleaning to clear rubbish that had collated in the garden and driveway.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Has the sensory room now been deep cleaned, and how is this checked?
  2. 02Has the rubbish been removed from the garden and driveway?
  3. 03How does the home manage visiting during an infection outbreak?
  4. 04How will people keep in touch with relatives if visits have to be restricted?
  5. 05What are the current staffing arrangements when there are COVID-19-related staff pressures?

This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not rate the other four areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 March 2022 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, November 2019

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with only a minor issue about lounge curtains.

This was an unannounced planned inspection. One inspector visited on 22 October, 25 October and 4 November 2019. They spoke with people, relatives, the manager and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.

The inspectors found that people were safe and received kind, respectful and personalised care. Staff understood people's needs, supported their choices, and provided activities and opportunities to go out. People and relatives were happy with the service.

All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection, published on 27 April 2017.

What inspectors praised
  • Enough staff

    People, relatives and staff said there were enough staff. Inspectors saw staff responding promptly and spending time with people.

    “On the day of inspection, we saw that people received support in a timely manner and staff were able to spend time with people.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful care

    Staff knew people well and treated them with kindness, dignity and respect. Interactions were positive and reassuring.

    “Staff engaged with people frequently and spent time with them chatting and laughing.” from the report
  • Personalised support

    Care plans described what mattered to people and how they preferred to be supported. Staff understood these needs and communication methods.

    “They were person centred, easy to follow and captured what was important to people.” from the report
  • Activities and going out

    People had individual activity planners and took part in activities such as karaoke, cooking and day centre visits. Staff said people were getting out more.

    “Everyone had individual activity planners displayed listing all the activities planned for each day.” from the report
  • Good oversight

    The manager and provider used checks, audits, meetings and action plans to monitor the home and respond to shortfalls.

    “Where these checks had identified shortfalls, action plans were implemented to address the areas.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Lounge curtains

    minor

    The inspectors noted that some hooks were missing from the lounge curtains. This was a minor environmental issue discussed with the home.

    “We discussed the need to get the lounge curtains fixed as they were missing some hooks.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Have the missing hooks on the lounge curtains been repaired?
  2. 02How many staff are usually on duty at different times of day, and how does this support people to go out?
  3. 03How will you support my relative's particular communication needs and choices?
  4. 04What activities and opportunities to go out would be available for my relative?
  5. 05How would you involve our family in reviewing care and responding to any concerns?

This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five key questions, including the care provided and the care home environment. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 November 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Ashwood Place

3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. March 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Ashwood Place →

  2. November 2019Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Ashwood Place →

  3. April 2017Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. March 2015Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. July 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. March 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. January 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  8. November 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  9. June 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  10. June 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  11. November 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 25 November 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.

Next steps

Weigh the report against the rest

Care at home

At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Hertfordshire

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 £980 to £1,300 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.

“She handled the new situation in front of her with such professionalism and I felt I could trust her 100%.”
Siobhan D., about Sithabile Tabile M.
“She was v competent and confident and we felt our mum was safe in her care. She supported us through a difficult time.”
Lucy D., about Loritha C.
See live-in carers near HertfordshireProfiles, rates and reviews are free to look at.

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.