Aston House

Aston House is a small residential care home providing support for people with mental health care needs, some of whom also have other health conditions. People living at Aston House were younger than in most care homes. People were independently mobile, with some using walking aids. Aston House supports up to 15 people in one converted building with a lift. At the time of the inspection there were 14 people living at Aston House.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Care and support was tailored to meet people’s individual needs. Peoples care was assessed and reviewed to ensure care was person centred taking into consideration people’s views and wishes.

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

People told us they were able to spend their time doing the things they enjoyed. Some people spent time in the lounge together and enjoyed the social interaction. Others chose to spend time in their rooms. Each person was seen as an individual and staff knew people’s needs and preferences well. People and their relatives if appropriate, were given the opportunity to be involved in any reviews and changes.

Staff were safely recruited. New staff received an induction and all staff received mandatory training to support them to safely meet people’s needs. Staff received support and supervision and felt involved in the way the service developed.

People received their medication in a safe way. Staff and management worked closely with other health care professionals to ensure medication was given consistently. Medication reviews also took place and all aspects of medication administration was reviewed and audited regularly.

Everyone we spoke with told us they enjoyed the meals provided and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs.

People were supported and encouraged to continue doing the things they enjoyed. Some people liked to watch the television in the lounge or go out to the shops. One told us they liked football and another said they enjoyed getting take aways some weekends.

Care plans and associated risk assessments were detailed and person centred. These provided staff with clear information to enable them to provide consistent care to people. Detailed life histories and previous health issues information meant that staff had background information about people and understood their needs. In particular, events in peoples past that may have impacted on their mental and physical health.

The registered manager and staff worked closely with people to support improvements in their overall health and to reduce levels of anxiety. People were supported to be as independent as possible.

Robust quality assurance systems were in place to measure and monitor the standard of the service. The registered manager and staff completed a number of reviews and audits. Any actions identified were taken forward to ensure continued learning and improvement.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was rated Good at the last inspection (published 9 October 2018)

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

This was the first inspection of Aston House following the change of provider to Gemstone Properties Limited on 15 September 2017.

Aston House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The home is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to 15 people who require support with their mental health care needs. At the time of the inspection there were 12 people living there.

The registered manager was present during the inspection. 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.

An effective quality assurance system enabled management to audit the care plans and other records, such as medicines and accidents and incidents, to identify trends and take action when needed. People said the staff were very good, they provided the support they wanted and they had been involved in discussions about how the service was developing.

Robust recruitment procedures ensured only suitable staff were employed and there were sufficient staff working in the home to provide the care people needed. Staff had completed relevant training, including medicines, infection control and safeguarding. They demonstrated a good understanding of people’s needs, how to protect people from abuse and what action they would take if they had any concerns. Supervision and staff meetings kept staff up to date with current best practice and they had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

Care plans were written and agreed with people and included risk assessments and clear guidance for staff to follow. Staff explained clearly how people were encouraged to be independent, make choices and plan the support they received with staff. People told us staff provided the care they needed and treated them with respect.

Staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and consistently asked if people needed support or assistance. The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. DoLS applications had been requested when required to ensure people were safe.

From August 2016 all organisations that provide NHS care or adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard. The standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information that they can easily read or understand so that they can communicate effectively. Staff were aware that people had different communication needs and were able to explain how they supported people to communicate.

People said the food was good, choices were offered and referrals were made to healthcare professionals if there were any concerns about a person’s diet. Staff supported people to keep in touch with relatives and friends and visitors said they were always made to feel very welcome.