Ashwood Court - Unit 1

Updated 23 November 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.

This inspection was unannounced and conducted on 25 October 2018 by one adult social care inspector from CQC.

Before this inspection, we reviewed notifications we had received from and about the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We also reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, and tells us what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make. We also checked with the local safeguarding and commissioning team whether they had any concerns about the service. All this information was used to plan the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who lived at Ashwood Court-Unit 1. We also spoke with the registered manager, administrator, senior carer and two care staff.

We looked at two care files, four medicine administration records (MAR), activities and observed care being provided in communal areas. Other records viewed included; two recruitment files, four staff files containing probation, supervision and appraisal records, training, induction processes, staff rotas, minutes of meetings, compliments, complaints, surveys, audits and policies and procedures. We used this information to inform our inspection judgement.

Updated 23 November 2018

Ashwood Court-Unit 1 is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The inspection was unannounced and completed on 25 October 2018.

The purpose-built home is situated in Lowton, Greater Manchester and benefits from all ground floor accommodation. The home is registered to provide care and support to 17 adults living with a mental health diagnosis. There were 16 people living at the home at the time of the inspection because one person was in hospital. People varied in age from 35 to 110.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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During the last inspection, although the home was rated as good overall, it was rated as requires improvement in the key line of enquiry (KLOE) effective because we made a recommendation. This was in relation to the application of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

At this inspection we found the provider had addressed our recommendation. Staff had received training in MCA and DoLS and when people were identified as not having capacity to consent to their care and treatment, applications to request a DoLS had been made to the local authority.

The home had a registered manager. 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.

Everybody spoken with told us they felt safe living at the home. Appropriate recruitment checks had been completed prior to new staff working at the home and the safeguarding processes were organised and transparent.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Rota’s were flexible and staffing numbers increased when required to facilitate appointments and day trips.

People had comprehensive risk assessments and ‘my plans’ completed by staff which contained control measures to reduce risk. These were easy to navigate and contained all the required information to meet people’s needs safely.

We found medicines had been managed safely. There were effective systems in place to ensure medicines were ordered, stored, received and administered appropriately.

New staff received an induction which was aligned with the care certificate and all staff completed regular online training through e-learning for you (elfy). Staff had quarterly supervision and an annual appraisal of their work.

Staff demonstrated they were knowledgeable regarding the Mental Capacity Act (MCA 2005) and DoLS. 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 told us staff were caring and friendly and respected their privacy and dignity. They confirmed being given choices about their care and personal preferences were considered.

The home was meeting the accessible information standard. People had a communication plan at the start of their care file and there was an accessible information resource file in the foyer of the home to support staff.

People accessed the community independently and there were afternoon activities and organised trips people participated in.

The complaints process and outcomes of surveys was clear and transparent. People and visitors were updated on the compliments, survey responses and complaints received.

Audits were completed which were aligned with CQC’s KLOE’s and identified whether the standards were met and actions taken if not.