Askham Hall

Updated 15 January 2021

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.

As part of CQC's response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice were safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 15 December 2020 and was unannounced.

Updated 15 January 2021

About the service

Askham Hall is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 26 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection.

Askham Hall accommodates 26 people over two floors. Each floor has shared facilities such as lounges, dining areas and kitchens as well as single bedrooms.

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

People who lived at Askham Hall received care from a staff team who knew each person well. The staff were all very happy in their roles and ensuring people got the best care. People’s views were respected, and they were involved in everything that happened in the service. People were happy living there and relatives trusted the staff team to look after their family members. One relative said, “The support we have received for our [family member] has been second to none. We couldn’t have wished for better.”

Staff understood the risks to people and the measures in place to keep them safe. Systems were in place to manage people's medicines safely and to reduce the risks associated with the spread of infection.

Sufficient numbers of staff were employed to meet people's needs. Staff received training that gave them the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out their roles and meet the specific needs of people using the service.

Staff delivered care and support that was personalised. Staff were kind, caring and motivated and people and their relatives were complimentary about the care provided. Staff respected people’s privacy, dignity and independence and encouraged people to lead their life in the way they wanted to.

People were supported to maintain good health. Staff made referrals to health professionals when required. People were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People had access to food and drink based on their individual choice and preferences. People had access to a wide range of activities that reflected their specific needs and interests.

Care plans guided staff to provide support that met people's needs in line with their preferences.

Systems were in place to monitor the service, which ensured that people's risks were mitigated, and lessons were learnt when things went wrong. There was an open culture within the service, where people and staff could approach the registered manager who acted on concerns raised to make improvements to people's care. A relative told us, “I cannot fault the care that is provided by the staff here.”

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 3 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.