Ardington House

Updated 25 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

Ardington House 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 used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who commission placements at the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five staff including support staff, senior support staff, the HR administrator, the registered manager and a director.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medicine records. We looked at three staff recruitment files and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 25 February 2020

About the service

Ardington House is a care home which provides supported short breaks to people with learning disabilities; it is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for five people. At the time of the inspection there were 15 people with personal care needs regularly accessing the service for short breaks at different times.

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 had developed positive and trusting relationships with staff which kept them safe from harm or abuse. They had detailed personalised plans of care to enable staff to provide consistent care and support in line with their personal preferences. The risk management plans mitigated any risks identified to their care.

There were enough staff to support people in the way they wished, and the provider had undertaken recruitment checks which assured people were cared for by suitable staff. People were protected against the risk of infection and received their medicines on time.

People were supported to maintain good health and nutrition. Information was provided to them in an accessible format which enabled them to make decisions about their care and support. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive ways possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were well cared for and supported to live as full a life as possible within the community. They were enabled to pursue their interests and be involved with activities within the home and community. Staff encouraged and supported people to fulfil their aspirations and desires. They had the knowledge and skills to support people in the way they wished, respecting their individuality and encouraging them to be as independent as possible.

People and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider had implemented effective systems to manage any complaints received. The service had a positive ethos and an open culture. The registered manager was approachable, understood the needs of people, and listened to staff and relatives.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements. 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 Requires Improvement (published 5 February 2019).

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.