Signature at Ascot

Updated 23 April 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection took place on 7, 9 and 10 February 2019. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors on day one of our visit and one inspector on the remaining days.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This was an unannounced inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered with us. The provider completed a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) during lunch. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with four people, four relatives, the maintenance manager, chef, activities co-ordinator, a registered nurse, a senior care worker, the deputy manager and the registered manager. We viewed two care plans, three staff files in relation to recruitment, induction and supervision, training data, medicine administration records, policies and procedures and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 23 April 2020

About the service:

Gracewell of Ascot provides accommodation for a maximum of 80 people with nursing care. It is situated in a residential area of Ascot where local shops and amenities are very close. It has large well-furnished lounges and dining areas. There is a bistro style café area in the reception area, as well as an Internet Café. A cinema, activities room and a hair and beauty salon are also on site. Each bedroom had ensuite. Pets are welcome to visit. At the time of our visit there were 29 people using the service.

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

People and relatives spoke positively about the caring nature of staff. Comments received included, “They (staff) make me feel comfortable and settled” and “You’re not a bother but someone they’d like to help.” We observed that care workers had positive relationships with the people they supported. They were warm and friendly, whilst respecting people’s dignity.

People and relatives felt safe from abuse. Staff demonstrated good knowledge of what action to take if there were allegations of abuse. Risks to people’s health and welfare were assessed and managed appropriately. The service ensured there was sufficient and suitable staff to care for people. There was safe management of medicines and appropriate action was taken to prevent and control infection.

The service used national guidance and best practice when carrying out pre-admission assessments. People received care from staff who were appropriately inducted, trained and supervised. The service promoted positive experiences for people living with dementia and the service identified people’s needs in relation to their protected characteristics, as identified in the Equality Act 2010. Consent was sought from people before care was delivered.

People received good health outcomes because the service worked in collaboration with various health and social care professionals. The service made sure people had a positive dining experience. Meals were freshly cooked and nutritious. Catering staff had a good understanding of people’s dietary requirements. Reasonable adjustments had been made when equipment was provided to meet the need s of people with disabilities.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; as the policies and systems in the service did support this practice. We found the service acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2015.

People’s care and support needs were assessed to enable staff to meet their specific needs. The service met the requirements of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). This meant supported people with disabilities or sensory impairment to be given information in ways that met their communication needs. The service took a pro-active stance to ensure people’s social life experience was positive. People and relatives knew how to raise complaints and said they were satisfied with the actions taken by the provider.

People and relatives felt the service was well-led. A relative commented, “Extremely well-led and the (registered) manager values her staff who work extremely well together.”

There was a culture of continuous learning and improvement in the service. Governance systems were robust which ensured people received safe, effective and good quality care.

Rating at last inspection and update: This service was registered with us on 12/10/2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection.

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.

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