About the service Ashley Court is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 28 people aged 65 and over. The accommodation is provided in a single building, arranged over two floors, with communal facilities including two lounges, a dining room, hairdressing salon, conservatory and secure garden. At the time of our inspection, 24 people were using the service, some of whom were living with dementia.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The provider monitored the quality and safety of the service. However, improvements were needed to ensure staff were clear on their role in the management of the service in the event of the provider being absent from the service. Medicines audits and monitoring of consent related activity also needed to be improved, to ensure they were consistently effective in identifying and rectifying any shortfalls.
People told us the staff always respected their privacy and dignity and provided care in their preferred way. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; however, some improvements were needed to the policies and systems in the service to demonstrate they consistently supported this practice.
People felt safe and were protected from the risk of harm by staff who understood their responsibilities to identify and report any signs of potential abuse. Any concerns were taken seriously and investigated in line with local safeguarding procedures.
There were enough, suitably recruited staff to meet people’s needs. Staff received training and ongoing support to meet people’s individual needs. Staff worked closely with other professionals, who were positive about the care and support people received.
People were supported to take part in activities and social events which were inclusive and based on their interests. People benefited from close links with the local community which helped to increase friendships and reduce social isolation.
The provider and staff promoted a caring, inclusive atmosphere. People and their relatives felt confident any concerns and complaints they raised would be acted on. There were systems in place to capture people’s views on how the service could be improved and these were acted on. Staff enjoyed working at the service and felt supported and valued by the provider.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 4 October 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.