Ashley Care

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

There was a positive culture at the service. The registered manager and staff had worked collaboratively to make improvements to care provision. Governance and management systems, information about risks, performance, and outcomes were now used effectively to drive improvements. Staff were very positive about their roles and the support they received from the senior team.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The registered manager told us they had done a lot of work to change the culture at the service to ensure people they supported were at the centre of care and support. The operations manager had taken time to meet with all staff either individually or in groups to get to know them and to identify what support staff needed to do their job effectively. The registered manager told us staff now look forward to coming to work. One member of staff said, “I have worked for 2 companies before Ashley care. Of the 3 I’ve worked for, Ashley Care have been compassionate and friendly. Nothing is too much for them, they are always there for me.”

The registered manager has developed a listening culture where staff can feel they are available for them to talk to. They have made changes such as putting in a coffee machine for staff and encouraging them to sit down and have a drink and a chat when they call into the office. Staff were involved in workshops to look at values and feedback they gave was that they felt listened too. Staff were asked to complete a survey to give their feedback on the support they received. Actions taken from this survey were then reviewed by the registered manager to see where improvements could be made.

The service had been taken over by a new provider since the last inspection. The new provider had evaluated issues at the service and was driving improvements. There was a culture of support being provided to the senior team and care staff working at the service. The registered manager was being consistently supported by the providers operational manager to action the changes and drive improvements at the service.

The registered manager was being provided with support from a strong leadership team. There were identified roles and accountability for staff to focus on. The registered manager told us they had support form the care manager, quality lead, medicine manager, care coordinator and risk assessor amongst others who were all working with the operations manager to embed changes and improvements at the service.

The registered manager had processes in place to support staff to speak up and followed human resource guidance to deal with any issues confidentially. Staff were also reminded how to speak up during supervision sessions and staff meetings.

There was a strong culture for staff to speak up if they saw issues or poor practice in their work. One member of staff said, “If I had any concerns, I would feel comfortable to whistle-blow. I would go to my manager. If it was about my manager, I would go to the overall head of the company. I can also go to the local authority or CQC.”

There was a policy in place to protect staff from harassment and bullying and a focus on protected characteristics under the Equality Act. Reasonable adjustments were made for staff with disabilities. Staff were continually engaged with to involve them with the service through meetings, supervision and surveys.

The registered manager had developed an inclusive workforce and recognized the value of diversity amongst the team.

Staff feedback was very positive about the management and support they received to do their job effectively. One member of staff said, “I think Ashley Care is managed very well. The Registered Manager is absolutely fantastic. Very supportive and helpful, they are an absolute wonder I can’t praise them enough.”

Improvements had been made since our last inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of a legal requirement. There registered manager had established a number of audits which provided them with a good oversight of the service. There was also an action plan in place, established with the new provider which was being worked through. The registered manager had given staff a clear direction of their vision for the service. Staff understood their role and contribution in sustaining improvements. The registered manager made statutory notification when required and safeguarding notifications to the local authority.

Where people using the service had been in hospital, audits showed that they had rated their transition back into the community positively as either "very good", or "good."

The local authority told us they maintained a good relationship with the service and registered manager.

The registered manager was promoting joined up working with the hospital discharge team and local authority to provide a smooth transition for people from hospital back to their own home. From feedback we saw this was providing positive outcomes for people during the period they needed additional support but no longer needed to be in hospital. Care was being provided short term until people could be fully independent again or a longer period of support was arranged.

The registered manager had developed relationships in the local community including working closely with the local hospital discharge team and local authority.

The provider had implemented a virtual reality training for staff to experience what it feels like to live with dementia. The training had been developed by the Department of Health, Skills for Health and Health Education England in partnership with Skills for Care. In addition, the provider had worked with a university to evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual reality training and found staff thought the training was relevant to their role and more engaging than traditional training methods. The provider had also developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Emma. This AI tool was linked to people’s care records and meant staff could find specific information on people’s care easily. All staff had to do was ask Emma their question or query and the AI tool would search all the most relevant and up to date documentation to provide the answer. Care staff had provided positive feedback on the use of AI and the registered manager had found it had cut down calls to the out of hours manager with queries from staff.

The provider and management team were actively supporting staff with learning and innovative ways of working at the service. Staff were encouraged to develop their skills and were supported to obtain nationally recognized qualifications. One member of staff said, “I had lots of training when I first started and continue to do so.”