Archived: Ashpark House

When we last visited the service it was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

People were safe because staff supported them to understand how to keep safe and staff knew how to manage risk effectively. There were sufficient numbers of care staff on shift with the correct skills and knowledge to keep people safe. There were appropriate arrangements in place for medicines to be stored and administered safely.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way. Management and staff understood their responsibility in this area. Staff were committed to ensuring all decisions were made in people’s best interest.

Staff had good relationships with people who used the service and were attentive to their needs. People’s privacy and dignity was respected at all times. People and their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

Care plans were individual and contained information about how people preferred to communicate and their ability to make decisions.

People were encouraged to take part in activities that they enjoyed, and were supported to keep in contact with family members. When needed, they were supported to see health professionals and referrals were put through to ensure they had the appropriate care and treatment.

Staff and other professionals were complimentary about the management of the service. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people.

The management team had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided.

We spoke with two staff who told us that recent training had made them feel empowered and committed to improving the service so that they were more responsive to the individual needs of the people living at Ashpark House. They told us that staff were willing to go the extra mile to make the necessary changes for people using the service to have a more independent lifestyle. People using the service and staff told us that the decorating programme had already improved the service, making it more homely and inviting.

We found that records relating to people who used the service provided an accurate reflection of their needs. Staff had received training and spoke knowledgably about the people they provided care and support to.

We found that staff lacked a general understanding about the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The service was not adhering to their own policies and procedures in relation to assessing people's mental capacity. We found that further work was needed to ensure that the environment is homely and ensures people's comfort. People's ability to move around the service as they might wish needs to be properly assessed.

Staff spoken with told us that they enjoyed working at Ashpark House. They told us that they felt supported in their roles and that they received training to ensure they had the relevant skills and qualifications to support the people using the service.

We found that records relating to people who used the service provided an accurate reflection of their needs. The environment and equipment provided was fit for purpose, however we had concerns that people were being unnecessarily deprived if their liberty due to level of security in the premises. Staff had received training and spoke knowledgably about the people they provided care and support to.