Ashburton House Care Home

What families say

The eight family priority themes

• Staff warmth70
• Compassion & dignity72
• Cleanliness65
• Activities & engagement60
• Food quality55
• Healthcare58
• Management & leadership74
• Resident happiness68

What inspectors found

Inspected 2023-07-13

• Is this home safe?

  Requires improvement
  Safety was the only domain rated Requires Improvement at the March 2023 inspection. This means inspectors found at least one area where practice fell below the standard required to keep people consistently protected. The published summary does not specify whether the concern related to medicines, staffing, falls management, infection control, or another safety area. The home has moved up from a previous Inadequate rating overall, which suggests progress has been made, but safety remains the area that needs most scrutiny. Families should treat this rating as a prompt to ask direct questions rather than as evidence that the home is unsafe.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the care effective?

  Good
  Effective was rated Good at the March 2023 inspection. This domain covers whether staff have the right training, whether care plans are up to date and personalised, whether residents get regular GP and health professional input, and whether food and hydration needs are properly managed. A Good rating here suggests inspectors were satisfied that the basic framework of effective care was in place. Ashburton House lists dementia as a specialism, which means inspectors would have looked at whether staff understand dementia-specific needs. The published summary does not include specific examples of care plan content, training records, or health monitoring detail.
  Verified by inspector

• Is this home caring?

  Good
  Caring was rated Good at the March 2023 inspection. This is the domain that most directly reflects whether staff are kind, whether your parent's dignity and privacy are respected, and whether they are treated as an individual rather than a task to be completed. A Good rating here means inspectors were satisfied that care interactions met this standard. No direct quotes from residents or relatives are included in the published summary, and no specific observations about staff interactions are described in the available text.
  Verified by inspectorResident testimony recorded

• Is the home responsive?

  Good
  Responsive was rated Good at the March 2023 inspection. This domain covers whether the home tailors daily life to individual preferences, whether activities are meaningful and accessible, and whether complaints and end-of-life wishes are handled well. Ashburton House has 29 beds and specialisms covering dementia, physical disabilities, and sensory impairment, which means the activity offer needs to reach people with varied abilities. The published summary does not describe what specific activities are available, how often they run, or whether one-to-one engagement is offered to residents who cannot join group sessions.
  Verified by inspector

• Is the home well-led?

  Good
  Well-led was rated Good at the March 2023 inspection. The registered manager, Mr Dale Kiely, is also the nominated individual for the provider, which means he carries both operational and regulatory responsibility for the home. A Good Well-led rating indicates that inspectors found governance systems, staff support structures, and a culture of accountability to be in place. The improvement from a previous Inadequate rating across the whole home is a significant signal that leadership has driven meaningful change. The published summary does not include specific examples of how the manager engages with residents or staff, or what quality monitoring processes are in place.
  Verified by inspector

Source: CQC inspection report →

Section 03

What the evidence base says

The team here supports residents with various needs including dementia care, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. They provide residential care specifically for adults aged 65 and over. For residents living with dementia, Ashburton House offers specialist care within their residential setting. The home has experience supporting people at different stages of their dementia journey. All areas worth probing directly during a visit.