Ash House

Updated 19 February 2024

Date of assessment 17 April and 26 April 2024. Ash House is a residential care home providing accommodation for persons who require personal care and have a diagnosis of a learning disability and/or autism. We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements. This assessment was brought forward due to information of concern about the management of risks related to people's health, safeguarding and good governance. This assessment only examined those risks and assessed 11 quality statements which included the provider's learning culture, safeguarding, involving people to manage risk, safe and effective staffing, medicines optimisation, person centred care, shared direction and culture, capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders, governance and assurance, partnerships and communities and learning, improvement and innovation. We will assess the other quality statements in future assessments. We found 2 breaches of the regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance. Risks related to people’s care were not always managed well. Accidents and incidents were not managed effectively. The provider's systems and processes had failed to identify, manage and mitigate some areas of risk. Audits and checks were not always effective in ensuring continuous improvement. There had been a period of instability of leadership within the home and at the time of our assessment. In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information after any representations and/ or appeals have been concluded. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 19 February 2024

Prior to our visit, a safeguarding incident had occurred which had been investigated by the local authority when 1 person had experienced poor care outcomes where staff had not supported the person in a kind and compassionate way. Following this, the provider had taken action to remove staff members who had not adhered to the provider's values and expectations. People appeared comfortable in the presence of staff and we saw positive engagement between staff and people living at the home. Relatives did not express any concerns around people's physical safety at the home. However, most relatives raised concerns about people’s personal and emotional needs not being consistently met. Relatives told us people's identified staffing levels were maintained, but told us staff would benefit from further training to support their understanding of people’s individual needs and provide consistency in practice. Relatives consistently spoke of the negative impact of continuous changes in management and ineffective communication with the home.