Windsor Court Residential Home

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities. A person told us, “‘I know the manager but they’re also the owners and they are nice people.”

Staff and people felt there was a positive culture at the service. Communication channels between people, staff and management were open and effective. The registered manager was proud of how the staff team promoted the service’s values. When asked whether there was good staff morale, a staff member said, “The culture at the care home is person-centred. We treat them (people) with respect, promote their independence, values, personal history, identity and their individual choices. We take our time to learn their individual life stories, hobbies and preferences.”

The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The registered manager had good oversight of the service. Staff said the management team were supportive. When asked whether the registered manager was fair and approachable, all the staff answered positively. As staff member told us, “I feel the management team have strong leadership skills to motivate the staff. They have a solid understanding on anything regarding safeguarding, their responsibilities and the running of the care home. Over the years, they have been able to build trusting relationships with residents and their families including the staff as well. They listen to our complaints and any challenging issues whilst remaining calm to address these issues.”

The registered manager was actively involved in the day to day running of the service and was knowledgeable about people’s needs and knew people well. They had the skills and experience required to lead the home. A person told us, “The managers are very good, and the place just about runs itself when they’re not here, which suggests it is well managed.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

People and relatives were encouraged to raise any concerns about the service during regular meetings, reviews and satisfaction surveys. They found the registered manager approachable and helpful and told us they felt able to raise any concern. A person told us, “I believe the home to be proactive in their approach to complaints, particularly [registered manager].”

Policies and procedures were in place to make it easy for staff to speak up. Staff were aware of the process to raise problems and how to contact the provider if they needed to. When asked what freedom to speak up meant to them a staff member told us, “I am aware of the term ‘freedom to speak up’. It means I should not be scared or afraid to speak up or voice out if and when I see anything that is wrong happening at work or any safeguarding concerns. I should be free to whistle blow without nursing the fear that my job is going to be at stake. It also means I will not be bullied or harassed if I raise any concerns at my place of work.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them.

The staff were happy working at the service. They told us they were well supported and could raise any concerns with the registered manager. The service employed some internationally recruited staff, who told us they felt valued and were fairly treated.

Staff were able to raise concerns and make suggestions at regular meetings, during individual and group supervisions and through feedback questionnaires. Records showed that when concerns were raised or areas for improvement identified by staff, the registered manager took action to address them.

Staff told us they were a diverse team who worked together well. Staff spoke positively about their experience of working at the service and told us they had not experienced any harassment or bullying.

The registered manager ensured staff had undertaken training in relation to equality and diversity and staff’s knowledge and understanding of people’s individual diverse needs was apparent when they spoke about the people they supported.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

There were well established systems in place to maintain oversight of the service and drive any necessary improvements. Regular checks were carried out on the environment, equipment, incidents, accidents, care records and medicines. The registered manager undertook a range of audits to monitor the quality of care provided and reviewed the experiences of people living at the service. Completed audits were then used to create action plans, which detailed where changes or improvements were needed to improve quality and safety.

The registered manager understood the legal requirements of their role and the importance of their role and responsibility. They ensured notifiable incidents were reported to CQC in a timely way

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. A visiting professional told us, “The owners are very engaging. Every time I visit the care staff make me welcome.”

The registered manager and staff worked well with partner agencies, such as GPs and community nurses, to ensure people received all the support they needed to meet their needs and experience a good quality of life. Records showed referrals were made to a variety of agencies for specialist support when needed.

Where investigations or ongoing treatment took place, the registered manager and staff collaborated with partner agencies to ensure people’s health and wellbeing was monitored, and they were provided with a seamless service. Any learning and updates were shared with partners to improve people’s outcomes.

A visiting professional told us, “Over the last 7 years in Stockton, we have created a culture of peer support, good practice sharing and joined up working with all the care homes, and Windsor Court has been a driving force in pulling all the homes across different provider groups together, and supporting peers and residents across other services too.”

The registered manager promoted a culture of continuous improvement and reflective practice. They actively sought opportunities to develop and enhance the service, ensuring people received person-centred care that achieved positive outcomes and supported a good quality of life. Effective partnership working with external professionals and agencies ensured people's needs were met through coordinated, high-quality care.

There were clear systems in place to identify, review and learn from incidents, accidents and feedback. Where improvements were needed, timely action was taken and learning was shared with staff to strengthen practice and improve outcomes for people. The registered manager and staff demonstrated a commitment to keeping up to date with best practice, regulatory requirements and sector developments through engagement with local care networks, professional forums and CQC communications.

This proactive and collaborative approach created a positive learning culture that supported safe, effective and continually improving care.