Working at Ashlong Cottage

Safety checks let harmful cleaning products and medicine storage stay unlocked until inspectors raised it and staff fixed it straight away.

The provider's safety checks did not always ensure people were safe, because they had failed to keep harmful and controlled substances stored securely. Controlled drug containers, although secured inside a second locked cabinet, had their keys kept in the locks which undermined the safety.

Staffing covers basic safe care and held steady in COVID times, but no word on low staff turnover or time for unhurried personalised care.

There were enough staff to care for people safely and staffing levels were adjusted when required to meet people's needs. The provider had been able to maintain staffing levels to make sure people experienced the same level of service.

Activities offer some variety like art, sensory sessions and trips, but no dedicated coordinator or special innovative programmes.

People had opportunities at residents' meetings to talk about activities [...] art and sensory activities such as aromatherapy [...] support to attend a music therapy session [...] go away on holiday.