Ashbourne Lodge is located in a residential setting in the South Shore area of Blackpool. The home is registered to accommodate up to 24 people who require assistance with personal care, over 2 floors. The property is set in its own grounds with garden areas to the front and rear of the building. There is a passenger lift for ease of access and the home is fully wheelchair accessible.

At the last inspection carried out in December 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found evidence continued to support the rating of ‘Good’. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a registered manager in place. 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 who lived at the home and their visitors praised the staff, their commitment and caring attitude towards them. They told us they were sensitive, caring and compassionate. One person said, “They are all wonderful caring people.” Another person said, “All the people who work here and the owners cannot do enough for me and everyone else. They are so kind and caring.”

The registered manager continued to follow safe recruitment procedures to reduce the risk of employing unsuitable personnel. Staff told us they were well trained and sufficient in numbers to provide the care and support people required. Our observations during the inspection visit and people we spoke with confirmed this.

The provider had safeguarding and other relevant policies in place. These documents contained contact details of responsible authorities. Staff had relevant training and we found the management team reviewed any lessons learnt to maintain everyone’s safety and welfare.

Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received competency training to ensure they had skills and the confidence required. Medication procedures observed protected people from unsafe management of their medicines.

There was an emphasis on promoting dignity, respect and compassion for people who lived at the home. People told us staff treated them as individuals and were respectful of their privacy.

The layout of the premises was appropriate for the care they provided. We found facilities and equipment had been serviced and maintained as required to ensure the home was a safe place for people to live.

People had been supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

We found meal times were a relaxed enjoyable experience for everyone. This was confirmed by our observations, staff we spoke with and what people who lived at the home said. One person said, “Great food the cook makes all home-made cakes. The ones today are lovely.” Also, “You get plenty of choice, if you don’t like something [cook] will always make an alternative.”

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by people they supported.

There was a complaints procedure which was made available to people and information was available in the reception area of the home. We found any complaints were acted upon promptly and in a timely manner.

The registered manager and staff provided a range of activities. One person who lived at Ashbourne Lodge said, “We went to the safari park recently it was really good.”

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included,

This inspection took place on 1 December 2015 and was an unannounced inspection.

Ashbourne Lodge is located in a residential area in South Shore, Blackpool. The home is registered to accommodate up to 24 people who require assistance with personal care, over 2 floors. There are garden areas to the front and rear of the building. There is a passenger lift for ease of access and the home is fully wheelchair accessible. At the time of the inspection visit 21 people lived at the home.

The home changed ownership and management early in 2015 and was being managed by the new organisation when we inspected. The registered manager had left the homes employment shortly before the inspection and was in the process of cancelling her registration. The care manager was applying to become the 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 nominated individual was working closely with the care manager to develop and improve the service. They had developed new policies and procedures, new care plans, increased staffing and staff training and begun refurbishing the home. People were positive about the changes in the home and the improvements in the care and environment. One person said, “It is fantastic here now, a big improvement since the change of management.” A member of staff said, “Things are definitely much better since the change of provider. I am now enjoying working here and able to develop a good relationship with the residents.”

The management team had procedures in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. Risks to people were minimised because risk assessments were in place. People told us they felt safe living at Ashbourne Lodge and liked living there. One person said, “I love it here now. It is so much better with the new owners.” I feel safe and secure.

We looked at how the home was being staffed. We saw there were enough staff to provide safe care and social and leisure activities. People we spoke with were satisfied with staffing levels and said they didn’t have to wait for assistance.

Recruitment and selection was carried out safely with appropriate checks made before new staff could start working in the home.

Staff managed medicines safely. They gave them as prescribed and entered, stored and disposed of them correctly. People were able to manage their own medicines if they were able to do so safely. People said staff gave them their medicines when they needed them.

People told us that staff supported them with their health needs well and sought information and advice swiftly where needed.

The environment was well maintained, clean and hygienic throughout. New floor coverings had been provided in communal areas and the home was being refurbished. There were no unpleasant odours. People said they were pleased with the redecoration.

Staff were supported to develop and extend their skills and knowledge to assist them in providing good up to date care practice.

People told us they were offered a choice of tasty and nutritious meals. They said the meals were good and they were offered snacks or drinks, day and night.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The management team discussed applications they had submitted. This showed us staff were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.

People we spoke with told us staff were attentive and caring, reacting quickly to any requests for help. They felt they could trust staff and they were friendly and respected their privacy. We saw staff frequently interacting with people, chatting and laughing. They recognised the importance of social contact, companionship and activities. There was a broad and varied activities programme. Staff made people’s friends and relatives welcome and involved them in the home.

Staff were familiar with and understood people’s history, likes, dislikes, needs and wishes. They knew and responded to each person’s diverse cultural, gender and spiritual needs and treated people with respect and patience.

People told us they knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint if they were unhappy with something. They were confident they would be listened to if they had concerns and that action would be taken quickly to make things right.

There were procedures in place to monitor the quality of the service. The management team were in the home most days and sought people’s views formally and informally.

There was a transparent and open culture that encouraged people to express any ideas or concerns. People and their relatives felt their needs and wishes were listened to and acted on. They said the new providers and staff team were easy to talk to and encouraged people to raise questions at any time.