Ashbourne House Nursing Home ‘requires improvement’, says Care Quality Commission

Ashbourne House, Middleton

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has stated that Ashbourne House Nursing Home in Middleton requires improvement.

Following an unannounced inspection in July 2015, inspectors deemed four out of five categories as requiring improvement. The only category to receive a rating of ‘good’ was responsive.

Ashbourne House Nursing Home is registered to provide care and accommodation and nursing care for up to 29 older people and at the time of the inspection 26 people were living at the home.

In a report published by the CQC is states that inspectors identified breaches in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.

Inspectors found that relevant checks had been completed prior to new staff commencing, ensuring that they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. However opportunities for staff training and development needed improving to ensure that staff had knowledge and skills relevant to their roles.

The registered manager acknowledged that the CQC had not always been notified of incidents in relation to the well-being of people, particularly the deprivation of liberty safeguards. This information is important and helps the CQC to monitor that appropriate action has been taken to keep people safe.

Inspectors noted that effective systems to monitor, review and assess the quality of the service were not in place to ensure that people were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care. They also noted that sufficient numbers of staff were available during the inspection, however clear and accurate records were not maintained to reflect sufficient numbers were available at all times.

Systems for managing medicines were deemed safe but the storage of topical creams and information to guide staff on PRN (when required) medication needed improving to ensure that people received their prescribed medicines safely and effectively.

Areas of the home were deemed to need improvement, particularly in relation to the malodour throughout the main corridor and reception area. In the report the CQC states that the provider was in the process of making improvements and identified issues would be addressed.

Even though case files contained sufficient information to guide staff in the delivery of people’s care, information about people whilst easily accessible to staff, was not always held securely to ensure that confidentiality was maintained.

Opportunities for people to participate in activities in and outside of the home were being developed at the time of the inspection and it is understood that the provider has recently appointed a new activity worker who was exploring activities based on people’s interest and preferences.

Despite a number of failings, the report from the CQC states that the home is meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Systems were also in place for the reporting and responding to information of concern. People and their visitors were confident that they were listened to and that the registered manager would act on their comments or concerts. Visitors told inspectors that they were kept informed about the well-being of their relative and people told them that they felt safe and received the care that they needed.

Debbie Westhead, the CQC's Deputy Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care in the North, said: "People are entitled to services which provide safe, effective, compassionate and high quality care. If that is what we find on inspection - we give the service a rating of Good or Outstanding.

"If we find that a service requires improvement, we will expect them to provide us with a full plan setting out how they will address the issue. We will share our findings with local commissioners, and we will return in due course to check that they have made the required improvements.

"Whenever we find a service to be Inadequate, we will consider taking further action on behalf of the people who use the service.”

Silverdale Care Homes Ltd, which runs Ashbourne House Nursing Home, did not respond to our request for comment.