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Care Services

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Ashgale House, Harrow.

Ashgale House in Harrow is a Residential home specialising in the provision of services relating to accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. The last inspection date here was 19th March 2020

Ashgale House is managed by Ashgale House Limited.

Contact Details:

Ratings:

For a guide to the ratings, click here.

Safe: Good
Effective: Good
Caring: Good
Responsive: Good
Well-Led: Good
Overall: Good

Further Details:

Important Dates:

    Last Inspection 2020-03-19
    Last Published 2017-11-22

Local Authority:

    Harrow

Link to this page:

    HTML   BBCode

Inspection Reports:

Click the title bar on any of the report introductions below to read the full entry. If there is a PDF icon, click it to download the full report.

24th October 2017 - During a routine inspection pdf icon

The inspection of Ashgale House took place on the 24 and 25 October 2017. The first day was unannounced and the second day was announced.

Ashgale House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for fourteen people. The home provides care and support for people with learning disabilities who may have additional physical needs. At the time of the inspection there were ten people using the service including a person who was receiving a respite service.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] 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 our last inspection of the service on 14 March 2017 we rated the service as "Requires Improvement". This was because we found deficiencies in the way that people’s finances were managed by the service so people were not always protected from the risk of financial abuse. This meant the provider was in breach of one regulation of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Following the inspection the provider sent us an action plan setting out the actions they would take to meet the regulation. During this inspection we found appropriate systems were in place to ensure that people’s monies were managed in a proper and safe way.

There were systems in place to keep people safe. Staff had received training on how to identify abuse and understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding people, including reporting concerns relating to people’s safety and well-being.

Accidents and incidents had been appropriately recorded and risk assessments were in place to minimise the risk of people and staff from being harmed. Checks and appropriate service tests had been carried out to make sure that the premises were safe.

We saw positive engagement between staff and people using the service. Staff were respectful to people and showed a good understanding of each person’s needs and abilities. Person centred care records ensured that the service met people’s individual needs and preferences.

Arrangements were in place to make sure people received the service they required from sufficient numbers of appropriately recruited and suitably trained staff.

People's medicines were managed appropriately and their healthcare needs were understood and met by the service.

People's dietary needs and preferences were supported. People chose what they wanted to eat and drink and healthy eating was promoted.

Staff respected people's privacy and dignity and understood the importance of maintaining and supporting confidentiality. People were provided with the support they needed to maintain links with their family and friends.

Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 [MCA] and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards [DoLS]. Staff understood the importance of ensuring people agreed to the care and support they received and knew they needed to involve others when people were unable to make important decisions. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. Checks were carried out to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

14th March 2017 - During a routine inspection pdf icon

The unannounced inspection of Ashgale House took place on the 14 March 2017. At our last inspection on 28 October 2015 the service met the regulations inspected.

Ashgale House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for fourteen people. The home provides care and support for people with learning disabilities who may have additional physical needs. The home is owned by Ashgale House Limited. On the day of our visit there were ten people living in the home and two people who received a respite service on a daily basis.

Since the last inspection a new manager had recently been appointed and at the time of our visit was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission [CQC]. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 cared for by staff who knew their needs well including people's individual ways of communicating. We saw staff engage with people in friendly and respectful manner.

Staff respected people's privacy and dignity and understood the importance of confidentiality. Staff showed us that they knew the interests, likes and dislikes of people and supported them to choose and take part in a range of activities of their choice. People were provided with the support they needed to maintain links with their family and friends.

There were procedures for safeguarding people. Staff understood how to report possible abuse and knew how to raise any concerns about people’s safety so people were safeguarded. However, the systems and processes for handling people's monies were not effective as they did not ensure people were protected from financial abuse.

People's individual needs and risks were identified and managed as part of their plan of care and support to minimise the likelihood of harm. Accidents and incidents were addressed appropriately.

Staff were available to meet people's individual needs promptly and demonstrated good knowledge about people living at the home.

Staff were appropriately recruited and supported to provide people with individualised care and support. Staff received a range of training to enable them to be skilled and competent to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

People were supported to maintain good health. They had access to appropriate healthcare services that monitored their health and provided people with appropriate support, treatment and specialist advice when needed. People’s dietary needs and preferences were supported, and they were encouraged to choose what they wanted to eat and drink.

Staff understood the importance of ensuring people agreed to the care and support they received and knew when to involve others to help people make important decisions. The manager was aware of their responsibilities in regard to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

There were systems in place to regularly assess, monitor and improve the quality of the services provided for people.

We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The provider’s management and handling of people’s monies was not meeting legal requirements You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

28th October 2015 - During a routine inspection pdf icon

This unannounced inspection of Ashgale House took place on the 28 October 2015.

Ashgale House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for 14 adults. The home supports people with learning disabilities who may have additional physical or mental health needs. The service is operated by Allied Care Limited. On the day of our visit there were 10 people permanently living in the home plus two people receiving respite care. Public transport and a range of shops are located within a walking distance of the service.

There was a registered manager in place. However, she had recently left the service, and has applied to cancel her registration with us. At the time of the inspection a new manager had been in post for ten days, she informed us she had commenced the process of applying to register with us. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] 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 atmosphere of the home was relaxed and welcoming. People participated in a wide range of activities of their choice, and were provided with the support they needed to maintain links with their family and friends.

Throughout our visit we observed caring and supportive relationships between staff and people using the service. Staff interacted with people in a friendly and courteous manner, and understood people’s varied communication needs.

Arrangements were in place to keep people safe. Staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. People’s individual needs and risks were assessed and identified as part of their plan of care and support. People’s care plans contained the information staff needed to provide people with the care and support they wanted and required.

People were supported to maintain good health. People’s health was monitored closely and referrals made to health professionals when this was required. People were provided with a choice of food and drink which met their preferences and nutritional needs.

Staff received a range of relevant training, and were supported to develop their skills and gain qualifications so they were competent to meet people’s individual needs. Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and received the support they needed to carry out their roles and responsibilities. Staff recruitment was robust so only suitable people were employed.

Staff had an understanding of the systems in place to protect people when they were unable to make one or more decisions about their care and other aspects of their lives. Staff knew about the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

There were systems in place to monitor the care and welfare of people and to make improvements to the quality of the service when this was needed.

14th March 2014 - During an inspection to make sure that the improvements required had been made pdf icon

We carried out an unannounced inspection on 14 March 2014 following compliance action taken against Ashgale House on 16 December 2013.

Our inspection on 16 December 2013 found that the provider was non-compliant in respect of Regulation 12 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010: Cleanliness and infection control.

During our follow-up inspection on 14 March 2014, we saw evidence that since our inspection in December 2013, the provider had implemented suitable arrangements to ensure that the environment was suitably cleaned and that potential risks of contamination or infection were minimised.

Our follow-up inspection found that the provider were now compliant with Regulation 12 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010: Cleanliness and infection control.

16th December 2013 - During a routine inspection pdf icon

People's needs were assessed and their care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with a personalised care plan. They were encouraged to be as independent as possible whilst minimising the risks to their safety and welfare. People had regular health checks, and where appropriate, referrals were made to other services and acted upon. People took part in a range of social activities within the home and community.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent it from happening. We saw safeguarding concerns had been reported and dealt with in the correct way, and the provider had worked in a collaborative manner with local safeguarding authorities.

We saw people used a range of equipment to support their independent living. They were protected from unsafe or unsuitable equipment by the arrangements in place to ensure equipment was properly maintained, was suitable for its purpose, and was used correctly.

Staff were supported in their roles and were able to successfully access on-going supervision, training, and development.

People, staff and representatives were invited to comment on the quality of the services provided either through face to face meetings or satisfaction surveys, and their comments were acted upon.

23rd November 2012 - During a routine inspection pdf icon

People who use the service told us that they were happy there. They said that they were involved in planning their care and had consented to their care and treatment. People’s needs were assessed and their care planned to meet these needs.

People’s needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

The environment was clean and appropriately maintained.

Staff told us that they were well supported and that they had the training they needed to support people living at the home. There were enough qualified and experienced staff working at the service.

People were aware of how to make a complaint. They felt that they were listened to and that any concerns they had were dealt with.

13th October 2011 - During a routine inspection pdf icon

The feedback we received from people who use the service was positive. They told us that staff were available when they needed them and supported them to take part in activities that they enjoyed. They said that staff treated them well and provided good care. People also said that staff helped them get medical treatment if they needed it and helped them to stay healthy.

People told us they could choose how they spent their time and that they could have privacy when they wanted it. They said they felt safe living at the home and that they would feel confident speaking to staff if they were unhappy about the way they were treated.

 

 

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