Ashview is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care under a contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection. Ashview accommodates up to eight people who may have a learning disability, in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection, five people were using the service.

This inspection took place on 15 January 2018. The inspection was unannounced, this meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

At the last inspection on 7 October 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found that the service remained good.

A registered manager was 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.

We found that improvements needed to be made to the outdoor area to ensure that this was accessible, and that the décor within the service would benefit from being updated. We have recommended that the provider updates the décor and external areas of the service, and ensures that people are involved with these decisions.

People spoke positively about the service and told us they were listened to by staff that were kind and caring towards them. People told us that they felt safe and staff understood what abuse was. They knew what steps they should take to protect people and keep them safe. Risks to people’s daily life had been assessed and contained detailed information to ensure people were kept safe from harm.

Checks were undertaken on staff suitability for the role and there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs in a safe way. However, we did find that when staff did not turn up to work that this had an impact on people and staff. We have made a recommendation to increase and maintain consistent staffing levels.

There were adequate systems in place for the safe administration of medication and people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff received an induction to prepare them for their role and additional training was provided to support their learning and development. The manager assessed staff’s competency to ensure that staff had understood the training and were able to put it into practice.

Staff had understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People who lived in the home were positive about the quality of the food and our observations were that people enjoyed their meals. People had meaningful activities offered to them but when staff did not turn up to work this prevented them from going out from time to time.

Care plans were written holistically and reflected people’s needs. Information about people’s health and support needs were available to people in a way that they understood. Assistive technology enabled people to speak with staff and share their views.

No complaints about the service had been received over the last 12 month, but systems were in place so that if a complaint was made, this would be appropriately investigated.

There were systems in place to drive improvement and audits were carried out on a regular basis, which looked at the quality of the service people received. The registered manager had a clear oversight of the service.

Ashview is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care under a contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection. Ashview accommodates up to eight people who may have a learning disability, in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection, five people were using the service.

This inspection took place on 15 January 2018. The inspection was unannounced, this meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

At the last inspection on 7 October 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection we found that the service remained good.

A registered manager was 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.

We found that improvements needed to be made to the outdoor area to ensure that this was accessible, and that the décor within the service would benefit from being updated. We have recommended that the provider updates the décor and external areas of the service, and ensures that people are involved with these decisions.

People spoke positively about the service and told us they were listened to by staff that were kind and caring towards them. People told us that they felt safe and staff understood what abuse was. They knew what steps they should take to protect people and keep them safe. Risks to people’s daily life had been assessed and contained detailed information to ensure people were kept safe from harm.

Checks were undertaken on staff suitability for the role and there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs in a safe way. However, we did find that when staff did not turn up to work that this had an impact on people and staff. We have made a recommendation to increase and maintain consistent staffing levels.

There were adequate systems in place for the safe administration of medication and people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff received an induction to prepare them for their role and additional training was provided to support their learning and development. The manager assessed staff’s competency to ensure that staff had understood the training and were able to put it into practice.

Staff had understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People who lived in the home were positive about the quality of the food and our observations were that people enjoyed their meals. People had meaningful activities offered to them but when staff did not turn up to work this prevented them from going out from time to time.

Care plans were written holistically and reflected people’s needs. Information about people’s health and support needs were available to people in a way that they understood. Assistive technology enabled people to speak with staff and share their views.

No complaints about the service had been received over the last 12 month, but systems were in place so that if a complaint was made, this would be appropriately investigated.

There were systems in place to drive improvement and audits were carried out on a regular basis, which looked at the quality of the service people received. The registered manager had a clear oversight of the service.

We observed care within the service to help us determine what it was like for people living at Ashview House. We found that staff interactions with people who live at the service were positive. One person told us “I am very happy here, the staff are good and always help me.”

We found that staff had been well trained and saw that they had a good understanding of people's individual needs. People were treated respectfully, their individuality and diversity understood. People enjoyed good levels of activity and were able to access the local community.

We found that the provider consulted with people and families and also monitored the service to ensure that standards would be maintained.

We spoke with most of the people who use the service during our visit in December 2012. Some of the people who live in Ashview House had limited communication so they shared their views through body language and facial expressions.

All of the people that we spoke with either indicated or told us that they were happy. One person said, “It’s good here, I like the staff and we do lots of things. I go on holidays and went to Blackpool this year.”

We looked at a sample of care files and found them to be detailed and informative. They had been regularly reviewed and updated to reflect any changes. We found that staff had been trained and had received regular updates in their training. Staff told us that they felt well supported to do their work.

The records showed that regular quality assurance surveys had been undertaken. The manager had carried out regular audits and the provider visited monthly to check on the quality of the service.

People told us that they were involved in their care. They said that they had helped to write their care plans and daily notes. People told us that they often visited the local market and shops and that they were due to go on holiday shortly, which they were looking forward to. People said that they felt respected and that staff treated them well.

People told us they were happy with the care they received. One person said that staff were nice but could sometimes get on their nerves. People told us that they have asked for more outings and that they now got them. People told us that they were happy with their rooms and one person told us that they had chosen their own furnishings. They told us that staff had helped them to keep their room clean and tidy.

People told us that they were happy with the quality of the service they received at Ashview House.