About the service:

Ashbury is a 29-bedded care home without nursing providing 24-hour care for people with mental health needs that include schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. The home also provides support to people who may have a learning disability. The home is situated in Bognor Regis. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people living at the home.

Ashbury has 29 ensuite bedrooms located over two floors which are accessible via stairs or lift shafts. The home had two large communal areas and a garden at the rear of the home.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

People’s experience of using this service:

•People and relatives told us they felt the home was a safe place to be and felt comfortable to raise concerns with staff. One person told us, “The care and attention is the best thing about here.”

•People were supported to live as independently as possible and told us that their needs were met. Activities took place on a daily basis and people were encouraged to participate if they wanted to. One person told us, “The best thing is it’s very sociable here”. Another person said, I do feel I get what I need here and the activities are not bad. I get to go out with a carer sometimes.”

•Relatives and visitors were welcomed to visit people and given the privacy to talk. One relative told us, “The communication is good, and I can ring the staff about anything anytime. We have always felt welcome here.”

•People and relatives told us that staff treated them with kindness and we observed friendly interactions throughout the day. One person told us, “Staff are marvellous and they are all so kind.”

•People were happy with the food and said they were given a choice of home cooked meals. One person told us, “The food is excellent and the chef is good.”

•People were supported by trained staff who were knowledgeable and knew how to care for people, in line with their needs and preferences.

•People were 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.

•The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the standard of care and

drive improvement. Systems supported people to stay safe and reduce the risks to them, ensuring they were cared for in a person-centred way.

•People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the culture of the home and said it was well managed. One person told us, “I do believe the place is well run.” Another person said, “Staff do work as a good unit, they seem quite happy”

More information is in Detailed Findings below.

Rating at last inspection: Good (Following the previous inspection on 16 May 2016 the provider changed its registration to a Limited Company.) The provider registered the new service with the CQC on 6 December 2018.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this home and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.