Ashgale House

Updated 16 March 2022

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 the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 24 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service one days’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 16 March 2022

About the service

Ashgale House is a residential care home providing personal care to 14 people. The home provides care and support for people living with learning disabilities who may have autism and additional physical disabilities. The home also delivered a respite service for people, but currently due to the Covid19 pandemic this service was not being provided. At the time of the inspection there were 7 people using the service.

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

Following the previous inspection in January 2020, the provider sent us their action plan. This included information about the steps they had taken to make improvements at the home.

Improvements had been made following the previous inspection. Staff, people and their relatives told us people were safe and well supported at the service.

Systems for storing and administering people’s medicines had improved. Medicines audits were taking place more frequently. Improvements were made when deficiencies were found.

Records of people’s expenditure and details of their purchases had improved. Checks and monitoring of the handling of people’s monies were carried out to minimise the risk of financial abuse and confirm that financial policies were being followed.

Improvements had been made to the quality monitoring systems. Audits and monitoring procedures were used effectively to monitor the service and to make improvements.

Monitoring records were better completed. They were easier to read, and fully completed. Staff had signed they had read guidance about people’s care, Covid19 and other areas of the service.

The registered manager had started to analyse and evaluate incidents to identify patterns and trends to help prevent similar events being repeated.

Systems were in place to ensure people were protected from abuse and treated with respect and dignity. Staff told us staffing levels were sufficient to provide people with the care and support they needed.

Risks to people’s safety in a range of areas including the Covid19 pandemic were assessed and understood by staff.

Suitable infection prevention and control measures and practices were in place to keep people safe and prevent people, staff and visitors catching and spreading infection.

The outcomes for people using the service in some areas reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People had a choice in what they ate and in how they spent their day, but some people’s routines and activities that had taken place outside the home had been reduced or stopped due to the Covid19 pandemic.

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 18 March 2020). There were two breaches of regulation. Regulation 12 Safe Care and Treatment and Regulation 17 Good Governance. We told the provider to make a number of improvements. 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 in the areas inspected and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations in these areas.

Why we inspected

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

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