We carried out a review of the data available to us about Ashgrove House Nursing Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Ashgrove House Nursing Home, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
In order to reduce the risk of infection, the service introduced zoning into Covid-19 and non-Covid areas. Staff were assigned to work in specific zones only to reduce spread of the pandemic. Staff working in the Covid-19 area was issued with masks, gloves, aprons, face shields, hair caps, sleeve covers and overshoes.
The service used IT equipment in order to reduce direct contact between members of staff working in different zones. An intelligent personal assistant, a sort of cloud-based voice service, was used for staff in different zones to communicate between them, the kitchen and the management team. This reduced the possibility of cross-infection and spread of Covid-19.
The service used whiteboards with people who needed to read lips to communicate and were unable to do it due to staff wearing face masks.
Staff used the most up-to-date guidance and best practice regarding the pandemic. This was shared through a live document that was updated according to the newest guidance published by Public Health England. The document was shared in the electronic form on a closed social media group and hard copies were given to all members of staff.
The service provider used fast-testing on top of regular tests to obtain faster test results when concerned about staff or people displaying symptoms of Covid-19. Test results were communicated to staff and the provider which resulted in positive outcomes. For example, the provider was able to obtain test results and to send home an infected member of staff who was working their shift.
There were appropriate arrangements for waste managements from all the zones with separate paths used for disposal of waste.
Staff maintained social distancing and the provider installed screens in the smoking area to protect staff from cross-infection. Perspex dividers had been fitted between seating spaces in the smoking shelter.
Meals for all the zones were covered, sealed and served from different areas of the kitchen.
Staff were using separate changing facilities provided to reduce the risk of infection.
Prior to the lockdown, the service was booking visitors in at a time that suited people and was spaced out to avoid potential infection transmission with other visitors. Outdoor visits took place and visitors were also provided with an infection prevention pack on arrival, including a mask, a face shield and disinfection gel. End of life visits were available for relatives in full personal protective equipment (PPE) for the length of 15 minutes.
The company vehicle was used with the driver in full PPE for hospital appointments. The vehicle was ventilated and disinfected after each use.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
Ashgrove House Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes 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 home is registered to provide accommodation for up to 35 persons who require personal care. On the day of our inspection 34 people were living at the service.
At the last inspection, the service was rated Outstanding in the Caring, Responsive and Well led domains and Outstanding overall. At this inspection we found the service had continued to meet the characteristics of outstanding in Caring, Responsive and Well-led domains, they had also improved in the Effective domain from good to outstanding. The overall rating continues to be Outstanding.
People were at the heart of Ashgrove House Nursing Home. We saw examples of staff wanting to make a positive difference to people’s quality of life. This reflected the values that staff held and the culture of the service ‘being more than a job’.
Without exception people said and gave examples of where staff had gone ‘the extra mile’ to make their lives special. They told us they felt well cared for and were offered emotional support when needed. Relatives were enthusiastic about the support they received. They said they felt encouraged to continue to play an important part in their relatives lives and told us the service provided a holistic approach to care, which included them even after their loved ones had left the service. People’s dignity was always respected and people were able to build meaningful, caring relationships with staff.
The service was led by a registered manager who promoted a service that put people at the forefront of all the service did. 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.
The registered manager was very passionate about working with people and their aim was to ensure the service met people’s physical and emotional needs. There was a culture of positive teamwork and empowering staff in line with the provider’s values. There was a very high level of confidence in the leadership and management of the service expressed by people, relatives and staff.
The registered manager was supported by an owner and organisation that was committed to providing high quality, innovative care. There continued to be a culture of putting people first which was evident all the way through the service from the provider to the care staff.
The owner and registered manager worked proactively with other organisations to develop training and support which provided enhanced support for the people living at Ashgrove House Nursing Home.
The team worked closely with other agencies and promoted an open and transparent culture that promoted a strong emphasis on continually striving to improve the service. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and appropriate action was taken promptly when required.
The atmosphere at Ashgrove House Nursing Home was one of caring, happiness and positivity. This enabled staff to embed a strong culture that valued people, relatives and staff and promoted a caring ethos.
People received exceptional care and support from staff who were skilled and knowledgeable and supported them on an individual basis. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the procedures in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals when needed and staff worked closely with people's GPs to ensure their health and well-being was monitored.
People remained safe living in the home. There were robust staffing levels to meet people's needs and staff had time to spend with people. Risk assessments were carried out and these promoted positive risk taking which enable people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines safely. There was a robust recruitment process, which involved people as part of the decision making process.
The provider and staff continued to recognise the importance of a range of activities to support people to maintain their interests and wellbeing through mental and physical stimulation.
Staff knew people very well and continued to be sensitive and responsive to people’s changing needs. Care plans continued to be comprehensive, detailed and well written. They continued to reflect people’s individuality and personal preferences.
The registered manager saw feedback and concerns as a learning opportunity and complaints were managed in line with the provider’s policy.
We carried out this inspection over three days on the 19, 21 and 26 January 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced. During our last inspection to the service in October 2013, we found the provider had satisfied the legal requirements in all of the areas we looked at.
Ashgrove House is registered to provide accommodation for up to 34 people who require nursing and personal care. On the day of the inspection, there were 33 people living at the home. The provider was in the process of increasing the number of people to 35. They had submitted an application to us, which was in the process of being assessed.
A registered manager was employed by 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. The registered manager was available throughout the inspection.
People and their relatives were extremely satisfied with the service they received. There were many positive comments about staff and the management team, as well as the overall care provided.
There was a strong person centred ethos, which was embedded throughout the home. This was to always treat people with dignity, as you would want to be treated and to remember the “Ashgrove smile”. The ethos of the home was intended to make people feel valued, supported and included, with an aim to enhance overall wellbeing. There were a high number of staff on duty at all times, to support people effectively. The staffing levels enabled people to receive focused, uninterrupted care in a relaxed and unhurried manner.
Staff consistently showed a caring, attentive and respectful manner. People were supported sensitively with an emphasis on promoting their rights to privacy, dignity, choice and independence. Interactions promoted wellbeing and showed staff knew people well. People were supported to undertake meaningful activity, which reflected their interests. There was involvement with the community by attending events and local groups, visiting the home. People were able to undertake household chores such as making their bed or laying the tables for meals.
There was an ‘all inclusive’ cost to living at the home. The cost included services such as chiropody, physiotherapy, aromatherapy, hairdressing and transport, with an escort to all medical appointments. People were able to use the therapies to assist with relaxation and the management of health care conditions. People were supported to achieve aspirations such as increased independence.
People’s medicines were managed in a safe and ordered manner. People received good support to meet their health care needs. This included a GP who often visited daily and ‘at a drop of a hat’. There were many compliments about the care given to people at the end of their life. People’s dying wishes were discussed at an early stage to ensure everything was in place when required. People had comprehensive, well written care plans to inform staff of their needs, preferences and any support required. Any wounds or specific health care issues were well managed with clear treatment plans in place.
People were offered a range of food and drink based on their preferences. There was no actual allocated food budget with staff saying people could usually have what they wanted. People had a varied selection of foods and drinks. There were accessible cabinets, filled with cakes and desserts so people and their relatives could help themselves to what they wanted, throughout the day.
There was a strong emphasis on personalised care and the further development. A comprehensive range of audits were used to monitor all aspects of the service. A “secret shopper” was used to experience the home, to get to the heart of how the service felt. The registered manager met with people and their relatives on a regular basis to ensure they were happy with the service received. Feedback from meetings and surveys, formed part of the home’s service development plan.
Staff received regular training in relation to their role and the people they supported. The training was generally undertaken by specialist trainers or health care professionals. Systems were in place to enable staff to develop and progress. All staff had an allocated area of expertise or interest, in which they received ongoing training. They cascaded their knowledge to the rest of the team through in house training sessions. Staff told us they felt valued, very well supported and were fully committed to the home and its ethos.
We saw that people's health and welfare needs were being met and the support they received was appropriate to their needs. Experienced staff were available in enough numbers to be able to provide the care and support that people required.
We found that people were being well treated and there were systems in place to protect them from possible abuse.
The quality of the service was being monitored and systems were in place to evaluate risks in order to meet people's health, welfare and safety needs.
A relative told us that the staff were very good and caring and were always polite and respectful. They said that the staff "go the extra mile." They told us that they visited at different times of the day and people always seemed to be very happy and comfortable in the home. They were very pleased with the care and support for their relatives.
We saw staff speaking to people with respect and responding sensitively to their needs. We found that there was a clear system of care planning so that people's needs would be met. The plans were person centred so that people could continue to live the life they chose.
People were protected from abuse because staff had the right training and knowledge about prevention of abuse. People told us that they felt safe in the home. Staff had the right training, qualifications and support to meet people's needs. The provider had comprehensive systems to assess and monitor the quality of the service and to manage risks to people.
We observed that a care worker noticed quickly when the arm of a person who had had a stroke came off a support pillow. They replaced the person's arm on the support pillow gently, explaining to the person what they were doing and why.
A person, after finishing their meal: 'it WAS nice'
A person told us 'I had some reservations about coming in but within a few weeks, it felt like home'
We observed a registered nurse explaining to a person why their medicines had changed, as the person was not sure why their tablets were different from what they remembered.
'Got a call bell ' occasionally I fall and they come running'
'I speak me mind and they take notice'
We observed that there was a family atmosphere in the sitting room. A member of staff was putting up Christmas decorations, they knocked some items off a shelf as they did so. Residents in the vicinity who noticed this laughed, chatting and teasing he member of staff.