Ash View House

Updated 7 July 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 checked 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.

The last inspection took place in January 2016. The service was rated Good in all domains at that time.

This inspection took place on 20 May 2018 and was unannounced. One inspector carried out the inspection.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service in order to plan for our inspection. This included the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally required to let the Commission know about.

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.

We spoke with eight people who lived at the service and three relatives. We also received feedback from two health care professionals.

We interviewed six members of staff, the registered manager and a director of the organisation that ran the home. We spoke to the registered manager and a senior manager. We also interviewed five staff.

We received email feedback from five relatives and two healthcare professionals.

We pathway tracked the care of three people. We observed staff respond to people’s care and support in communal areas, they spoke with people in private. We also looked at records that related to how the home was being run as well as the quality monitoring systems in place.

Updated 7 July 2018

The inspection took place on 20 May 2018 and was unannounced.

Ash View House accommodates 17 people in three adapted buildings. Ash View House is a care home. People in the care home receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion.

There was a registered manager for the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered 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.

There was a culture of dynamic risk taking at Ash View House. This was supported by very well trained staff and really up to date systems and procedures in place, to keep people and others safe. This meant people thrived in an environment where they could develop and live a really fulfilling life but still be supported to stay safe.

People, relatives, professionals and staff gave exceptionally positive feedback about Ash view House; Comments included “The care is excellent, the staff are amazing.” “The staff strive to improve all the time, the owner is also lovely”, and “I would recommend this place to anyone, you are here with people who try to look after you and do the very best they can.”

The whole team were led by the management who were exceptionally committed to providing people with a highly responsive and very flexible service. Care was goal and aspirations led and this meant people thrived and planned to achieve long-term goals and outcomes. One person told us “It’s brilliant here they let me decide what I want to do and help me do it”. Another person told us “It’s the best home I have ever been in I can do so many things here, I went greyhound racing which I enjoyed a lot.”

Care was creatively planned to respond to people’s individual needs or goals. Activities were highly personalised to people’s specific interests. Care plans were personalised with information co-written with people at the home. This supported staff to provide high quality care and support.

People, relatives and staff were at the centre of Ash View House’s quality checking programme. The management team followed a wide range of systems to gain their feedback and views. Systems included regular meetings and a range of satisfaction surveys.

People, relatives and staff, told us the home was very well run and well-led by the management team. One person told us “I see the owner all the time I can talk to him about anything”. Another person said, “They are always asking what you think; it makes you feel you matter and are involved.”

The whole team's total commitment to delivering a truly person centred service has been embedded even further into all aspects of the service. Staff who have shown specific interests in particular areas, such as safe responses to behaviours that challenge were designated 'Leads'. These leads continued to play a key role in developing and improving practice as well as sharing learning and acting as role models.

The management team and staff they led had a good understanding and appreciation of people's needs. The team were creative in the ways they provide person centred care .This put people at the centre and ‘heart’ of how the home was run. The management continued to find new and creative ways to support people to have an exceptionally fulfilled quality of life.