Background to this inspection
Updated
5 April 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 9 February 2018 and was unannounced. Two adult social care inspectors, a specialist advisor in nursing and an expert by experience formed the inspection team. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using, or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Before we visited the service we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history, statutory notifications and complaints. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to the Commission by law. We contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners and safeguarding staff. We also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is the local consumer champion for health and social care services. They give consumers a voice by collecting their views, concerns and compliments through their engagement work. Information provided by these professionals was used to inform the inspection.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During our inspection we spoke with eight people who used the service and four family members. We also spoke with the registered manager, a manager from one of the provider’s other services, the clinical lead, an activities coordinator and six members of staff.
We looked at the care records of five people who used the service and observed how people were being cared for. We also looked at the personnel files for five members of staff and records relating to the management of the service, such as quality audits, policies and procedures.
We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
Updated
5 April 2018
This inspection took place on 9 February 2018 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.
Ashwood Park is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Ashwood Park accommodates 65 people in one adapted building across five separate units. One of the units specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. On the day of our inspection there were 62 people using the service.
The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We last inspected the service in December 2015 and rated the service as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’ and met all the fundamental standards we inspected against.
Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and risk assessments were in place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.
Appropriate arrangements were in place for the safe administration and storage of medicines.
The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service, and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out.
There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant vetting checks when they employed staff.
Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions and appraisals.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of people being supported during visits to and from external health care specialists.
People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Ashwood Park.
Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible. Care plans were in place that recorded people’s plans and wishes for their end of life care.
Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were written in a person-centred way. Person-centred means ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support plans and their individual wishes, needs and choices are taken into account.
Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests and to help meet their social needs.
The provider had an effective complaints procedure in place and people who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint.
The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place. Staff said they felt supported by the registered manager. People who used the service, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service via meetings and surveys.