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CQC report explained · a residential care home, run by Milewood

Ash Tree House

24 The Bungalows, Grangetown, Middlesbrough, TS6 7SQ

Goodpublished 9 February 2024, 2 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the service performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, effective risk management and generally safe medicines arrangements, but infection control practices were not always followed.
Effective?
Good
This question was not assessed during this focused inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward.
Caring?
Good
This question was not assessed during this focused inspection. The report describes positive relationships and support for choice, but the rating was carried forward from the previous inspection.
Responsive?
Good
This question was not assessed during this focused inspection. Its previous rating was carried forward.
Well-led?
Good
The home had a positive and open culture, a clear management structure and regular quality checks. People and staff were involved in decisions about the home.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, February 2024

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring support, but infection control and the condition of parts of the home needed improvement.

This was an announced focused inspection on 11 December 2023. The inspector reviewed information from the service and other professionals, spoke with people, relatives, managers and staff, observed care, and checked records, medicines, the building and quality checks.

The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe recruitment, suitable medicines support, effective risk management and systems for safeguarding people. Staff knew people well and supported their choices, independence and communication needs.

Inspectors found that some bedding needed replacing and some areas were old and worn, making effective cleaning difficult. Staff were not always following safe infection control practices. Immediate action was taken over the bedding, and a refurbishment plan was due to start in January 2024.

This inspection only assessed Safe and Well-led. The ratings for the other three areas were carried forward from the previous inspection in 2018, so this report does not provide a new full assessment of them.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe staffing

    Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff worked consistently and knew the people living in the home well.

    There were sufficient staff on duty to ensure people received the support they required.from the report
  • Choice and independence

    Staff supported people to make decisions, communicate in ways that suited them and develop their independence.

    Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence and they supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making.from the report
  • Positive leadership

    Inspectors found an open culture, positive relationships and a management structure that monitored care and supported improvements.

    There was a positive and open culture at the service. People and relatives spoke positively of the staff team and the support provided.from the report
  • People's views used

    People were involved in decisions about meals, activities and the home's décor. Their views were acted on.

    Regular 'residents meetings' took place where people were encouraged to express their wishes in relation to meals, activity and décor of the home.from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Infection control and building condition

    needs fixing

    Staff did not always follow safe infection control practices. Some bedding needed replacing and parts of the home were old and worn, although immediate action was taken and refurbishment was planned.

    People were not always protected from the risk of infection as staff were not consistently following safe infection prevention and control practices.from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What work from the refurbishment plan has been completed since the inspection, and what remains outstanding?
  2. 02How do you now check that staff consistently follow infection prevention and control practices?
  3. 03How quickly are worn bedding and other items identified and replaced?
  4. 04What regular audits are now used to check that the home is clean, safe and well maintained?
  5. 05How will you support my relative's choice, communication needs and independence in everyday decisions?

This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection in 2018. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 February 2024 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Ash Tree House

3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. February 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Ash Tree House

  2. September 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodWell-led: Good

    We are reading this report · the original is on cqc.org.uk

  3. May 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. June 2015

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 June 2015.

Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission. A service can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections, not every contact the CQC has had with the service.

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