Background to this inspection
Updated
22 February 2020
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.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
Ashley Drive 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
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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, throughout the inspection we gave the registered manager opportunities to tell us what changes they had planned.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person who lived at the care home and their relative who was visiting at the time. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with the registered manager and the deputy manager. We spoke with four staff.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two people’s medicine records. We looked at recruitment records for three staff. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We sought feedback from healthcare professionals. We contacted five relatives and received feedback from two. We contacted a further nine staff to ask for feedback.
Updated
22 February 2020
About the service
Ashley Drive is a residential care home providing personal and support for up to six adults with a learning and physical disability. At the time of the inspection six adults lived at the home. The home was light and welcoming. Each person had their own adapted bedroom. People had access to communal lounge, dining and kitchen areas.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by staff who were described as “Kind”, “Very caring and kind." However, feedback from relatives and staff about the management team was not always positive. Some staff described morale as “Low” and “Very low”. We have made a recommendation about motivating staff and team building.
People were supported by staff who had been recruited safely and given opportunities to keep their knowledge and skills up to date to ensure they could provide safe care to them.
People were cared for by staff who provided caring and compassionate support to them. Relatives describes care as “Good” and one relative told us “The care [Name of person] gets is second to none.”
People were supported by staff who had received training on equality and who demonstrated they respected people’s religious beliefs.
People were routinely treated with dignity and respect. One relative told us “I always feel welcome when I arrive.” They went on to tell us “I cannot fault them [Staff], the home is a happy place, the food is good.” Another relative told us “Staff are excellent.”
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of 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.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
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 10 July 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.