Ashcroft

Updated 12 September 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.

We carried out the inspection on 17 and 26 April 2018. It was unannounced on the first day. On the 17 April 2018, three adult social care inspectors and an Expert by Experience visited the home. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service, in this case the care of older people. On 26 April 2018, one adult social care inspector visited the home.

During the inspection, we spoke with 14 people who used the service, four relatives and a visiting health care professional. We spoke with five team leaders, two care workers, the cook, the maintenance man, the administrator, the receptionist, the activities coordinator, the registered manager and the area manager.

We looked at six people’s care records, medication records, six staff files and other records relating to the management of the service such as staff training records, meeting notes, audits and surveys.

We observed people being supported in the communal rooms and observed the meal service at breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. We looked around the home including a selection of people’s bedrooms, bathrooms and toilets.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications from the provider and speaking with the local authority contracts and safeguarding teams.

The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a document, which gives the provider the opportunity to tell us about the service. We used information the provider sent us in the PIR. 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.

Updated 12 September 2018

Ashcroft 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.

Ashcroft can accommodate up to 66 people. The home has three floors, the first floor is a unit specialising in the care of people living with dementia.

At our last inspection, we rated the service good. At this inspection, we found the evidence continued to support this rating and in addition, we found the service had improved to outstanding in some areas.

A new registered manager had been appointed since our last inspection. 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 service was exceptionally caring. Everyone we spoke with was very complimentary about the service and said they would recommend the home. There was a strongly embedded culture within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. This was supported by a number of dignity champions.

Consultation with people was an integral part of the way the service operated. We saw many examples of ways in which people’s feedback had been used to shape the service. We found the provider had adapted the first floor to create an engaging and enabling environment for people living with dementia.

People were protected from harm. Staff knew how to recognise and report concerns about people’s safety and welfare. Any concerns, which were raised, were dealt with properly. Risks to people’s health and safety were identified and managed. When things went wrong lessons were learned and action taken to reduce the risk of this happening again. The recruitment of new staff was done safely, which helped to make sure, only staff suitable to work with vulnerable adults were employed.

People’s medicines were managed safely. The service worked with a range of health and social care professionals to make sure people’s health care needs were met.

The home was clean and well maintained.

There were enough staff and they were well trained and supported to meet people’s needs.

People were supported to eat and drink and offered a choice of food, which reflected their dietary, religious and cultural preferences.

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’s needs were assessed and care plans were in place, which included information about their support needs and preferences. People and their relatives were involved in planning and reviewing the way their care was delivered.

People were offered the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities both in the home and in the community. In response to feedback from people, the service was working to create a community setting within the home. To this end, they had created an old-fashioned sweet shop, a pub, a cinema room, a traditional lady’s hairdressing salon and a barber shop.

The home benefitted from strong leadership. The registered manager was passionate about providing person centred. The provider had robust and effective systems in place to monitor, assess and improve the quality and safety of the services provided. The management team was continuously looking at ways to improve the service for the benefit of the people who lived there.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.