Archived: Ashmead Care Centre

Updated 23 August 2017

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.

The inspection took place on 15 and 16 June 2017. The first day of the inspection was unannounced; the provider knew we would be returning for a second day. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and a specialist advisor who was a nurse who specialised in dementia care.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. We spoke with one professional who worked with the service to obtain their feedback.

We spoke with 10 people using the service. Some people could not let us know what they thought about the home because they could not always communicate with us verbally. We therefore used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI), which is a specific way of observing care to help us to understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We also spoke with eight care workers, four nurses, the activities coordinator, the chef, the registered manager and an area manager within the organisation.

We looked at a sample of 10 people’s care records, nine staff records and records related to the management of the service.

Updated 23 August 2017

We conducted an inspection of Ashmead Care Centre on 15 and 16 June 2017. The first day of the inspection was unannounced; the provider knew we would be returning for a second day. At our previous inspection on 30 June 2016 we found a breach of the regulation relating to consent. After our inspection, the provider wrote to us to confirm what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to this area.

Ashmead Care Centre is a care home with nursing for older people with dementia and/or nursing needs. There were 105 people using the service when we visited.

There was a registered manager at 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.

At our previous inspection we found the provider was not meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We found one person was being unlawfully deprived of their liberty. At this inspection we found the provider was meeting this regulation. People’s liberty was only being deprived in accordance with legal requirements for their safety and was the least restrictive option to achieve this aim. Where people’s capacity was in question, we found mental capacity assessments were completed and decisions were made in their best interests after consultation with all relevant parties.

People were not consistently supported to meet their nutrition and hydration needs. Food and fluid charts were used, but these were not consistently filled in. People were otherwise supported to maintain a balanced, nutritious diet. Repositioning charts were not consistently filled in when needed. People were supported effectively with their health needs and were supported to access a range of healthcare professionals.

Procedures were in place to protect people from abuse. Staff understood how to recognise abuse and knew what to do if they suspected abuse was taking place.

Staff had completed medicines administration training within the last two years and were clear about their responsibilities. Medicines were administered, recorded and stored safely.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s life histories and current circumstances, and supported people to meet their individual needs in a caring way. We saw good levels of supportive interactions between care staff and people using the service.

People using the service and their relatives were involved in decisions about their care and how their needs were met. People had care plans in place that reflected their assessed needs.

Recruitment procedures ensured that only staff who were suitable, worked within the service. There was an induction programme for new staff, which prepared them for their role. Staff were provided with appropriate training to help them carry out their duties. Staff received regular supervision. There were enough staff employed to meet people’s needs.

People using the service and staff felt able to speak with the registered manager and provided feedback on the service. They knew how to make complaints and there was a complaints policy and procedure in place.

The organisation had adequate systems in place to monitor the quality of the service.

During this inspection we found a breach of regulations in relation to nutrition. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.