Ashton Lodge

Updated 16 July 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Ashton Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We reviewed the information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people. Most people were living with dementia and were unable to talk with us, so we completed observations. We reviewed a sample of people’s risk assessments and care plans and checked staff recruitment files. We also sampled medicine records and stocks within the home. We spoke with the registered manager and two deputy managers.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence we found. We looked at a further five people’s risk assessments and care plans, fire related safety checks and assessments, equipment checks, training records, staff competency checks and medication audits. We spoke with four people’s relatives, six members of staff, and a professional who has regular contact with the service.

Updated 16 July 2021

About the service

Ashton Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to 48 people most of whom were living with dementia and long-term conditions. The service can support up to 54 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

One person said, “It suits me fine, staff are nice.” One person’s relative said, “Its so much better its improved a lot, they [staff] love her, they treat her like she is one of their own. Staff are very chatty; they talk to me as if they know me too.” Another person’s relative said, “I just wished I knew about this place when my parents needed to go into a care home.”

People’s safety was promoted at the home through staff and managers regularly monitoring and responding to changes in people’s health needs. Professional advice was sought quickly, and plans were made to ensure people were safe.

Care staff knew how to respond to any concerns to protect people from potential harm and abuse. The registered manager ensured checks were completed to ensure people were safe at the home, such as staff recruitment checks, equipment, building and fire safety checks.

There was a positive person-centred culture at the home. The registered manager, deputy manager and activity coordinators made efforts to promote people’s interests and to give people a happy and enjoyable experiences at the home.

Staff felt supported and listened to. The management team regularly audited and assessed the service to promote a good standard of care. Staff and relatives spoke openly about the improvements which had taken place over the recent years at the home.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 12 March 2020). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 18 February 2020. A breach of a legal requirement was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ashton Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.