Ashurst House

Updated 1 January 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Ashurst House 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority commissioners. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including fire safety checks were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We sought feedback from health care professionals who supported people.

Updated 1 January 2022

About the service

Ashurst House is a residential care home providing personal care to seven people with a learning disability at the time of the inspection. Ashurst House accommodates up to eight people in one adapted building.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

A new leadership team had been appointed since our last inspection and had made significant improvements to the care and support people received. People told us they were happy and fulfilled at the service and staff were kind and supportive. Relatives told us the service had vastly improved and the management team were “on top of things”.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The leadership team had developed a culture centred around people’s preferences and goals. Staff were flexible to people’s changing needs and wishes and supported them to make informed decisions. Staff actively asked people for their views on all areas of the service, including their care and support, and these were acted on. People had privacy, held keys to their bedrooms and staff only entered their room with permission. Staff ensured people were treated with dignity and respect at all times. They were confident to challenge the practice of their colleagues and raise any concerns they had with the leadership team.

People were relaxed in the company of each other and staff and people no longer felt scared of each other. Staff had supported people to understand the risks of abuse and how to raise any concerns they had. Concerns raised had been acted on and people were confident action taken would keep them safe in the future.

People were supported to take positive risks to develop their skills and maintain their independence, such as making hot drinks and going out alone. Staff had supported people to have health and medicine reviews and any advice was followed. This had improved peoples’ quality of life and people were more independent.

Recruitment processes had improved and people were now involved in interviewing staff. Something they told us they enjoyed. The number of staff on shift each day had increased and this enabled people to go out more, as well as doing more at home. Staff worked well as a team, were motivated and felt appreciated. New staff told us they had a career path and were supported to develop in their role.

Medicines were now managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. Regular medicines audits were completed to identify and address any errors. Other audits had been effective, and action had been taken to resolve any shortfalls and stop them happening again.

The service was clean. People understood COVID-19 restrictions and were supported to follow the latest government guidance. They received visitors safely and were supported to remain as safe as possible when they went out. People were involved in household tasks such as cleaning their bedrooms and doing their laundry.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Inadequate (published 8 December 2021).

This service has been in Special Measures since 10 August 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 3 June 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, good governance, safeguarding people from abuse, staffing, fit and proper people employed and notifications.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements. The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from Inadequate to Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ashurst House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.