Care Home: Ashleigh College

What has improved since the last inspection? Some parts of the college has been painted and some new furniture has been bought. This makes it a nicer place to live. The college is well managed and provides a good service to the students. What the care home could do better: A recommendation has been made to make some small improvements to the checks made before staff are given a job. All the training done by staff should be written in their records. Inspecting for better lives Key inspection report Care homes for adults (18-65 years) Name: Address: Ashleigh College 3 Elmfield Park Gosforth Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 4UX The quality rating for this care home is: Three star excellent service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home, agency or scheme is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full assessment of the service. We call this a ‘key’ inspection. Lead inspector: Anne UrwinBrown Date: 2 1 0 5 2 0 0 9 This is a report of an inspection where we looked at how well this care home is meeting the needs of people who use it. There is a summary of what we think this service does well, what they have improved on and, where it applies, what they need to do better. We use the national minimum standards to describe the outcomes that people should experience. National minimum standards are written by the Department of Health for each type of care service. After the summary there is more detail about our findings. The following table explains what you will see under each outcome area Outcome area (for example: Choice of home) These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: This box tells you the outcomes that we will always inspect against when we do a key inspection. This box tells you any additional outcomes that we may inspect against when we do a key inspection. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: This box tells you our opinion of what we have looked at in this outcome area. We will say whether it is excellent, good, adequate or poor. Evidence: This box describes the information we used to come to our judgement Copies of the National Minimum Standards – Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or bought from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop The Commission for Social Care Inspection aims to:  Put the people who use social care first  Improve services and stamp out bad practice  Be an expert voice on social care  Practise what we preach in our own organisation Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 2 of 31 Reader Information Document Purpose Author Audience Further copies from Copyright Inspection report CSCI General public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. www.cqc.org.uk Internet address Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 3 of 31 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Ashleigh College 3 Elmfield Park Gosforth Newcastle Upon Tyne NE3 4UX 01912130833 01912132614 lesley.lane@espa.org.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Education and Services for People with Autism Limited care home 18 Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 18 0 learning disability Additional conditions: To accommodate up to eight students between the ages of 16 and 18 years. The College may under limited and agreed conditions make arrangements for assessment of applicants under the age of 16 years old. Date of last inspection 1 8 0 4 2 0 0 7 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 4 of 31 A bit about the care home Ashleigh College provides a fixed term residential service for students who are diagnosed as having Aspergers Syndrome. The service has evolved over a number of years and Ashleigh College now specialises in meeting the care, developmental and educational needs of students with this syndrome. Placements at the college usually last three years. Ashleigh College is part of the Education Services for People with Autism Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 5 of 31 Limited (ESPA). The organisation has a number of autism specific resources across the North East region. The college is situated in the Newcastle suburb of Gosforth. There is easy access to local amenities as well as the city centre. The college and grounds are spacious and well maintained. The college charges £54,864 p.a. to £74,166 p.a. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 6 of 31 Summary This is an overview of what we found during the inspection. The quality rating for this care home is: Our judgement for each outcome: three star excellent service Choice of home Individual needs and choices Lifestyle Personal and healthcare support Concerns, complaints and protection Environment Staffing Conduct and management of the home Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 7 of 31 How we did our inspection: The quality rating for this service is 3 stars. This means that the people who use the service experience excellent quality outcomes. The Inspectors talked to the people who live at the college. The Inspectors looked at the documents that have to be kept. They looked at: Care plans Staff files Medicine records Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 8 of 31 Some of the colleges policies and procedures (Policies are rules about how to do things. Procedures tell people how to follow the rules.) The inspector looked around the college. This was to make sure that it was safe and comfortable. What the college does well Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 9 of 31 Students receive good care that suits their needs. Staff have the right training to meet the needs of the students. Care plans are clear and up to date. People get good help to take their medicines. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 10 of 31 People get out and about a lot and do interesting things. This helps them to be more independent. There is plenty of food provided and people have a choice about what they eat. People get help to learn to cook and manage their money. Ashleigh College is comfortable and everyone has their own room. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 11 of 31 There are enough staff to help people. What has got better from the last inspection Some parts of the college has been painted and some new furniture has been bought. This makes it a nicer place to live. The college is well managed and provides a good service to the students. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 12 of 31 What the care home could do better A recommendation has been made to make some small improvements to the checks made before staff are given a job. All the training done by staff should be written in their records. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 13 of 31 If you want to read the full report of our inspection please ask the person in charge of the care home If you want to speak to the inspector please contact Anne Urwin Brown St Nicholas Building St Nicholas Street Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1NB 0191 2333600 If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 4. The report of this inspection is available from our website www.cqc.org.uk. You can get printed copies from enquiries@cqc.org.uk or by telephoning our order line - 0870 240 7535 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 14 of 31 Details of our findings Contents Choice of home (standards 1 - 5) Individual needs and choices (standards 6-10) Lifestyle (standards 11 - 17) Personal and healthcare support (standards 18 - 21) Concerns, complaints and protection (standards 22 - 23) Environment (standards 24 - 30) Staffing (standards 31 - 36) Conduct and management of the home (standards 37 - 43) Outstanding statutory requirements Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 15 of 31 Choice of home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People are confident that the care home can support them. This is because there is an accurate assessment of their needs that they, or people close to them, have been involved in. This tells the home all about them, what they hope for and want to achieve, and the support they need. People can decide whether the care home can meet their support and accommodation needs. This is because they, and people close to them, can visit the home and get full, clear, accurate and up to date information. If they decide to stay in the home they know about their rights and responsibilities because there is an easy to understand contract or statement of terms and conditions between the person and the care home that includes how much they will pay and what the home provides for the money. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . Students have enough information about the college to make an informed choice about living there and good assessment systems are in place to ensure that the college is able to meet peoples needs. Evidence: Good information is available for prospective students to help them make a decision about coming to Ashleigh College. There is a good assessment process in place that includes an overnight stay at the College and involve students in the process. Information was available in individual files to show that students are fully involved in this process. Comprehensive information is available about each persons needs from placing authoritys, relatives and other relevant parties. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 16 of 31 Individual needs and choices These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People’s needs and goals are met. The home has a plan of care that the person, or someone close to them, has been involved in making. People are able to make decisions about their life, including their finances, with support if they need it. This is because the staff promote their rights and choices. People are supported to take risks to enable them to stay independent. This is because the staff have appropriate information on which to base decisions. People are asked about, and are involved in, all aspects of life in the home. This is because the manager and staff offer them opportunities to participate in the day to day running of the home and enable them to influence key decisions. People are confident that the home handles information about them appropriately. This is because the home has clear policies and procedures that staff follow. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People living at Ashleigh College get the care and support they need and good systems for managing risks mean they are kept as safe as possible. Evidence: Each person has an individual plan that clearly sets out their needs and the support to be provided. There was evidence from individual records that these plans are regularly reviewed and students and their relatives where appropriate are involved in this process. Any restrictions on choice or freedom are clearly identified and show that there is an emphasis on helping students to be as independent as possible. Students are clearly involved in making decisions about their lives and they confirmed this in discussion with inspectors. Records showed that people are supported to make decisions about all aspects of their lives and any limitations are in their best interests. People are supported to stay safe and risk assessments are in place to help minimise any restrictions in line with individual plans. There was evidence that risk assessments have been used to good effect to help people travel independently with staff providing Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 17 of 31 Evidence: support as necessary until students have been able to achieve this. Another area using risk assessment to achieve better outcomes for people was self harm with good support from staff in place to minimise risks. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 18 of 31 Lifestyle These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: Each person is treated as an individual and the care home is responsive to his or her race, culture, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They can take part in activities that are appropriate to their age and culture and are part of their local community. The care home supports people to follow personal interests and activities. People are able to keep in touch with family, friends and representatives and the home supports them to have appropriate personal, family and sexual relationships. People are as independent as they can be, lead their chosen lifestyle and have the opportunity to make the most of their abilities. Their dignity and rights are respected in their daily life. People have healthy, well-presented meals and snacks, at a time and place to suit them. People have opportunities to develop their social, emotional, communication and independent living skills. This is because the staff support their personal development. People choose and participate in suitable leisure activities. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . Student have a good quality of lifestyle and are assisted to retain good links with family and become part of the local community. Good opportunities are provided for students to take part in appropriate leisure activities. Evidence: At Ashleigh College people are encouraged to develop good relationships and social skills to help them to take an active part in the life of the local community. Staff recognise the importance of enabling people to follow their own interests and to benefit from building good relationships with family and friends. Students have plenty of opportunities to gain skills that will help them be more independent. Policies and procedures for staff at Ashleigh College take account of the need to respect peoples rights and their equality and diversity. Staff work with students to help them to build relationships with other people. Students said that staff respect their privacy. People living at Ashleigh are able to enjoy full and stimulating lives. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 19 of 31 Evidence: People were relaxed and looked happy during the inspection. Staff were respectful towards people and it was evident that individuals preferences were well known to the staff. Staff said that service users are out regularly in the local community using local services and facilities including shops, swimming pool, local walks, shopping, leisure facilities and the local library. Students described the things they liked to do and one person said that he was able to go out to the shops and to meet friends, which he was not able to do without help when he first came to Ashleigh College. Menus show that meals are well balanced and nutritious and are based on healthy eating principles. There is a choice available and specific diets are catered for including gluten free. Mealtimes are relaxed and staff were aware of those who needed help and allowed plenty of time for them making the meal a pleasant social event. There are themed days and on the day of this inspection French food was on the evening menu. People having lunch appeared to enjoy the food served. The cook is doing a course on advanced food safety. Ashleigh College have achieved a 5 star excellent rating on food safety from Newcastle City Council. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 20 of 31 Personal and healthcare support These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People receive personal support from staff in the way they prefer and want. Their physical and emotional health needs are met because the home has procedures in place that staff follow. If people take medicine, they manage it themselves if they can. If they cannot manage their medicine, the care home supports them with it in a safe way. If people are approaching the end of their life, the care home will respect their choices and help them to feel comfortable and secure. They, and people close to them, are reassured that their death will be handled with sensitivity, dignity and respect, and take account of their spiritual and cultural wishes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . Personal and healthcare support is planned and delivered taking account of multi agency intervention to ensure that peoples privacy, dignity and indepence is respected. Evidence: Support plans are in place for individuals who need help with personal care. Plans are clear and are regularly reviewed to reflect students changing needs. People are encouraged to be as independent as possible. Health care and emotional needs are well recorded and there was evidence of regular reviews and of support plans being changed to reflect any changes. All healthcare interventions are recorded and students have their own records of the things they have learned about healthcare during their time at Ashleigh College. One person said that this was very useful and he could look at it if he wasnt sure what to do about something. Good systems are in place to ensure that staff are made aware of any changes in peoples needs. One student said that staff are very good and help him with if he doesnt feel well or if he is anxious about something. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 21 of 31 Concerns, complaints and protection These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: If people have concerns with their care, they or people close to them, know how to complain. Their concern is looked into and action taken to put things right. The care home safeguards people from abuse, neglect and self-harm and takes action to follow up any allegations. There are no additional outcomes. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience excellent quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People living at Ashleigh College are protected by the good procedures for dealing with complaints and allegations. Evidence: Good systems are in place for dealing with complaints. Each student is provided with a copy of the complaints procedure and they also receive a copy of a Statement of Rights that includes information about making choices, keeping information safe, staying happy and safe and help with advocacy. There are pictorial aids for students who find reading difficult. One student said that he was aware that he could make a complaint and said he found it easy to talk to staff if he had any concerns about anything. He said he had not made a complaint, but was sure that staff would respond appropriately if he did. All staff have received training on safeguarding vulnerable adults and child protection. There are policies and procedures on safeguarding, whistle blowing (informing on bad practice) and anti-bullying. Staff have also received training on the Mental Capacity Act to give them an understanding on how this legislation affects their practice. Staff are aware of the action to taken if a safeguarding referral is made. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 22 of 31 Environment These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People stay in a safe and well-maintained home that is homely, clean, comfortable, pleasant and hygienic. People stay in a home that has enough space and facilities for them to lead the life they choose and to meet their needs. The home makes sure they have the right specialist equipment that encourages and promotes their independence. Their room feels like their own, it is comfortable and they feel safe when they use it. People have enough privacy when using toilets and bathrooms. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . People living at Ashleigh College have a comfortable, clean, well maintained home that suits their individual needs. Evidence: Ashleigh College is located in a pleasant residential area within walking distance of local shops and near good bus routes into Newcastle city centre. The college is comfortable, clean and well maintained. A range of communal lounges, a workshop area and computer room are available for students to use. Students are encouraged to improve their life skills and are able to use small kitchens fitted with domestic appliances. They plan, budget, shop and prepare food with staff support where necessary. A range of bathrooms, showers and toilets are provided that are appropriately equipped to suit the needs of students. All bedrooms are single occupancy and people can choose to have a key to their room. Female students have bedroom accommodation on a separate floor to male students. Lockable cabinets have been provided that students can use to store money and personal items. Bedrooms are personalised to suit individual preferences and interests with students belongings and equipment. There is evidence that students are encouraged to take responsibility for any damage and to work with staff to remedy Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 23 of 31 Evidence: this. Some students are involved in growing plants, vegetables and herbs in the garden and greenhouse. There are good facilities in the grounds where students take part in woodwork, horticulture and theory sessions. There are policies and procedures on control of infection and staff have completed relevant training. The college management intend to implement the Department of Health Essential Steps to Safe, Clean Care to reduce the level of and manage the spread of health care infections. Protective equipment and suitable hand washing facilities are provided. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 24 of 31 Staffing These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have safe and appropriate support as there are enough competent, qualified staff on duty at all times. They have confidence in the staff at the home because checks have been done to make sure that they are suitable. People’s needs are met and they are supported because staff get the right training, supervision and support they need from their managers. People are supported by an effective staff team who understand and do what is expected of them. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . Good staffing arrangements mean that people get good quality care from appropriately qualified and experienced staff. Good recruitment practices protect people living at Ashleigh College. Evidence: There are very good staffing levels maintained and these are flexible so that individual student activities can be supported. The rotas showed that there are enough staff on duty with on average four staff on duty in the mornings, supplemented by support assistants from the day college, eight staff in the evenings and two waking and one sleep in staff at night. There are two full time cooks and two part time domestic staff. The organisation also employs a maintenance team for repairs and work to the building. During the inspection students agreed that there were enough staff to provide support to them. One person said staff are always available if I need any assistance or one to one time. More than half of the staff have achieved national qualifications in care. New staff receive an appropriate induction training that includes an introduction to the organisation, aims and objectives, autism spectrum, learning disability awareness, health and safety, safe working practices, protection of vulnerable people, behaviour and physical intervention, communication and healthy eating. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 25 of 31 Evidence: There is a training matrix providing evidence of good training opportunities including fire safety, moving and handling, first aid, food hygiene, safeguarding, child protection, mental capacity, medication, managing challenging behaviour, and equality and diversity. Individual training records and certificates are also kept. From discussion with staff it was clear that additional training has also been provided when the college closes down for two weeks each year this time is used for extra staff training. Two staff said that this has included topics such as mental health, IT, strategic planning, and training specific to students needs such as self harm and speech and language. Staff recruitment files contain appropriate detail including application forms with full employment history, photograph, and proof of identity. Criminal Records Bureau and reference checks are carried out and always include last employer reference. Sometimes character references are accepted as the second reference rather than seeking a professional reference when people have worked in a care setting previously. Staff have regular supervision and there are staff meetings and staff said that they could raise issues at both of these. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 26 of 31 Conduct and management of the home These are the outcomes that people staying in care homes should experience. They reflect the things that people have said are important to them: People have confidence in the care home because it is run and managed appropriately. People’s opinions are central to how the home develops and reviews their practice, as the home has appropriate ways of making sure they continue to get things right. The environment is safe for people and staff because health and safety practices are carried out. People get the right support from the care home because the manager runs it appropriately, with an open approach that makes them feel valued and respected. They are safeguarded because the home follows clear financial and accounting procedures, keeps records appropriately and makes sure staff understand the way things should be done. This is what people staying in this care home experience: Judgement: People using this service experience good quality outcomes in this area. We have made this judgement using a range of evidence, including a visit to this service . Good management systems that take account of students views are in place to ensure that a good quality and safe service is provided. Evidence: The manager works full time and all her hours are extra to the normal staffing levels. The manager is experienced and has good support systems from within the organisation, including senior management and departments with responsibilities for learning and development, human resources and finances. Ashleigh College has various methods in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. There is an annual improvement cycle plan and this includes meetings, reviews and producing an annual quality report. The organisation has recently employed a quality manager. Monthly visits are carried out by senior management and detailed reports are prepared on the conduct of the service. These include references to staffing, complaints and compliments, incidents, accidents, discussion and observations with students and as well as comments on the building. Additional audits are also carried out on equality and diversity within the service and monitoring of behaviour. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 27 of 31 Evidence: Health and safety policies and procedures are in place and staff receive appropriate training relevant to their jobs in safe working practices, health and safety. The organisation has its own Health and Safety Adviser. Good systems are in place for reporting and recording incidents and accidents. There is a fire risk assessment in place. All checks of the fire alarm, emergency lighting, and fire equipment are recorded and completed at appropriate intervals. Students are involved in fire drills to make sure that they know what to do in the event of a fire. Some in house fire instructions to staff were not given at the required frequency and the management agreed to provide these at the earliest opportunity. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 28 of 31 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes  No  Outstanding statutory requirements These are requirements that were set at the previous inspection, but have still not been met. They say what the registered person had to do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. No Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 29 of 31 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours. No Standard Regulation Description Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set No Standard Regulation Description Timescale for action Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service. No Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations 1 34 It is advised that where a person has previously worked in a care setting that a professional reference is sought rather than a character reference. This will safeguard the people living at Ashleigh College. All staff training should be recorded in individual training records to show the good opportunities people have had to develop their skills. In house fire instruction must be provided to all staff at appropriate intervals of six months for day staff and three months for night staff. This will protect the students and staff at Ashleigh College. 2 35 3 42 Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 30 of 31 Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 or Textphone : or Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. Care Homes for Adults (18-65 years) Page 31 of 31 - Please note that this information is included on www.bestcarehome.co.uk under license from the regulator. Re-publishing this information is in breach of the terms of use of that website. Discrete codes and changes have been inserted throughout the textual data shown on the site that will provide incontrovertable proof of copying in the event this information is re-published on other websites. The policy of www.bestcarehome.co.uk is to use all legal avenues to pursue such offenders, including recovery of costs. You have been warned!