Ashfield Nursing and Residential Home Wetherby: Leeds care home rated 'requires improvement' in CQC inspection

Ashfield Nursing and Residential Home, in Ashfield, was downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ in the latest report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

It came after inspectors found the home did not have the right fire doors to prevent a blaze from spreading, and that staff had not completed fire drills.

But a spokesperson for the home said this week that measures have already been taken to address the concerns.

Ashfield Nursing and Residential Home is capable of caring for up to 32 elderly people, including those with dementia. During the inspection in October, there were 24 people living there.

The CQC asks five questions when it rates a service. They are: whether it is safe, whether it is effective, whether it is caring, whether it is responsive, and whether it is well-led.

Only the safety and well-led aspects were found to require improvement at Ashfield Nursing and Residential Home, while the rest of the criteria were rated as ‘good’.

In its report, the commission said: “The environment was not always safe, as a recent fire inspection showed the home was not compliant with fire regulations.”

This related to concerns around doors and fire drills, as well as a fire risk assessment being unsatisfactory. The report also raised concerns about the training of staff and the checks that should be completed when employing staff.

However, it did acknowledge that systems were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. People living at the home told inspectors they felt safe and that staff were “kind and caring”.

Medicines were managed safely and residents were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, with staff supporting them in the “least restrictive way possible”.

In response to the concerns, a spokesperson for the home said: “Obviously, we’re disappointed with the rating that the CQC gave us, and we take their concerns seriously.

“The CQC and the fire inspector have approved the remedies we’ve implemented since the inspections and they’re happy with our current progress towards addressing the other points raised.”