This unannounced inspection took place on 18 January 2017. Ashley Cooper House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 16 people who have physical disabilities. 13 people were using the service at the time of the inspection.

At our previous inspection of 28 July 2016 we found the service was in breach of a Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014 regulation. This related to premises and equipment. The provider had not ensured that equipment was suitable for the purpose for which they were being used. We undertook a comprehensive inspection on 18 January 2017 to check that the service now met the legal requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Ashley Cooper House’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We found the action taken to address this was sufficient and the provider met our regulation. At the time of our inspection, the provider had replaced 16 doors and installed 13 automatic door closers. Despite the outstanding three automatic door closers which the service was awaiting delivery for, this did not hinder people’s access to all parts of the building. The registered manager informed us after the inspection that the three remaining automatic door closers had been installed and that all doors were functioning correctly and were safe for people to use.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were happy living at the service. Staff delivered people’s care in a kind and compassionate manner. People’s dignity and respect was maintained. People gave consent to care and treatment. People were supported to pursue their interests and to remain as independent as possible.

People had received their medicines safely when needed. Staff managed and stored medicines appropriately. Risks to people’s health were assessed and staff had sufficient guidance on how to protect them from harm. People’s needs were assessed and staff had information on how to deliver their care. People’s care was delivered as planned and met people’s individual needs.

Staff were supported in their role and felt valued at the service. The registered manager’s carried out supervisions and appraisals to monitor staff performance and address any knowledge gaps.

People and their relatives where appropriate were involved in planning and reviewing of people’s care. People’s care was provided in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People had enough to eat and drink and enjoyed the choice of meals offered at the service. People’s nutritional and dietary needs were known and staff sought professional guidance to support them appropriately. People accessed healthcare services they required to main their well-being.

People and staff described the registered manager as approachable and open to ideas to develop the service. People were confident the registered manager would take their concerns seriously.

People knew how to make a complaint if they were not happy with the quality of the service. Complaints were addressed appropriately and to the satisfaction of people.

The service was subject to regular checks and any shortfalls were addressed to improve the quality of care.

Ashley Cooper House provides accommodation and care for up to 16 people who have physical disabilities. On the day we visited 13 people were living in the home.

The service was last inspected on 4 November 2015 when we found one breach of regulation relating to the cleanliness of parts of the building.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The manager was not available on the day of our visit and the deputy manager assisted us with the inspection.

At this inspection we found one breach of regulation. People did not have free access to all parts of the building because adapted doors did not work effectively.

The provider had arranged for an audit of the home to take place and the management team were addressing the areas which needed improvements.

We found improvements had been made to the cleanliness and condition of shower rooms and toilets.

Ashley Cooper House provides accommodation and care for up to 16 people with physical disabilities. The service was last inspected in January 2014 when we found the regulations were met.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At this inspection we found that people were not protected from the risk of infection because the home was not clean in the shower rooms and toilets and equipment in these rooms was damaged. Although checks and audits were carried out to make sure the service provided was of high quality they had not addressed the issues of concern with the shower rooms and toilets.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

In other respects the home was safe. There were good arrangements to help people keep safe from abuse. House meetings included discussions to ensure everyone knew the action to take if there was a concern about abuse.

Risks were assessed and managed so people could carry out activities safely. Fire procedures were in place and advice was sought from fire authorities to make sure they were adequate.

There were good arrangements for working with health and social care professionals so people’s health needs were met adequately. The home provided a balanced diet that met people’s tastes, health and cultural needs.

Staff were trained and supported to look after people well.

People were supported in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and ‘best interests’ meetings were held when people did not have the capacity to make their own decisions.

Staff were caring towards the people living at the home and they respected their privacy and dignity. Staff knew people well and were concerned for their well-being.

People knew how to complain and felt confident they would be taken seriously. Some people said they would like more activities to be arranged and would like to go out more often. People were asked for their views in meetings and surveys.

There was a stable staff and management team.