Stallcombe House

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 82 (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.

The provider’s clear vision and strategy had people at the heart of the service which staff understood and supported. The culture of the service was extremely person-centred, inclusive and empowering. Personalised care based on equal rights for all, was pivotal to the service’s beliefs and operation. This was brought about through the exceptional and clear leadership and through the values and goals shared by all. The provider and registered manager had put into daily practice clear passion, and strong commitment, which ensured people received the best service.

The service acknowledged they needed as many external professional points of view as possible to ensure Stallcombe House was not at risk of a closed culture. These viewpoints included, external trainers delivering training for staff, for example autism awareness. Key partners echoed the excellence of the vision, direction and culture of the service. One professional told us, "The management team demonstrate clear and consistent communication and a strong commitment to provide person-centred care.”

The registered manager explained they had done a lot of work around changing the culture within the service, aided by completing a restrictive practice audit guided by peer reviewed research.

The service had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

The management team were passionate and enthusiastic about designing and delivering person-centred care which was bespoke to individuals they supported. Leaders were exceptionally responsive to the needs of people. They described how they overcame barriers, to ensure people continued to thrive and develop, through the support they received from the dedicated staff team.

The management team were visible and led by example.They were genuinely interested and eager to explore the dreams and aspirations of all the people that used their service so they could set about making plans and actions for people to achieve their goals. We observed the compassion and professionalism they asked of their staff, which was reflective of their own behaviours.

All members of the management team had an individual work coach, which helped them ensure people were experiencing the best possible outcomes according to their individual care and support needs. The registered manager described how their work coach had supported them in improving the culture at the service and bringing the staff team together through focusing on common values.

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

The provider valued and listened to the views of staff. Staff were given opportunities to provide feedback about the service and their opinion was valued. Open forum sessions had been implemented which gave staff the opportunity to speak up. These sessions had been well attended and well received.

The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture which sought the views of people using the service, their relatives, and staff. Consistent dialogue with people who used the service, capturing their views and listening to their experiences, helped to continuously improve the service they received.

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

Staff told us they had regular contact with the management team and confirmed the service was free from any discrimination or harassment.

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

The organisational structure was clear and established within the service. Stallcombe House was led by an exceptional leadership team who had clearly defined roles. The registered manager said they felt extremely well supported by all members of the management team and worked with them to continually develop the skills of staff and the quality of service provided to people.

The service had an exceptionally comprehensive and effective quality assurance system which was well embedded into staff practice. All areas of the service were regularly assessed by staff, the registered manager and the provider to ensure excellent practice and support. All aspects of risk management and care and support were individually analysed to ensure everyone using the service received high quality safe care.

There were clear systems to monitor and review the quality of care people received. This helped to continuously improve the service and ensure people who received support were at the heart of the service and were able to live their best lives. Staff described a professional, well-led organisation, which focused on bespoke care that enabled people to achieve their goals and dreams.

The service clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The provider and registered manager liaised with other organisations, explored best practice, engaged with the local authority and accessed learning materials to continuously improve their care practice. This was evidenced through the exceptional and continuous achievement of people's goals and aspirations.

The service had a strong presence in the local community. They had established effective links across various local businesses to share information, appropriately challenge barriers to people’s care and put on bespoke social events for the people that used the service. For example, local election candidates had come in and talked to people and sent easy read documents. This in turn resulted in people being supported to vote.Strong links had also been built with local football and cricket clubs and the local church. The registered manager told us, “We have done a lot of work with people around their religious preferences. Making sure people are supported to the right religious ceremony.”

The management team were positive about their links with local partners and health and social care teams. They expressed an open positive attitude to receiving support and understood how and where they could access support from.

The provider worked with people, their representatives and staff and built a culture which focused on enabling people to enjoy their lives.

The service focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. This included constantly reviewing staff skills and ideas, and ensuring staff worked with people at the person’s chosen pace.

The service had a culture of learning, improvement and innovation which was in line with right support, right care, right culture. The service was further embedding the principles of right support, right care, right culture in the physical structure. This included, creating more individual kitchen areas and ensuite bathrooms. The registered manager told us, “We want to be able to really recognise and lead the way for our residents as individuals.”

Opportunities to learn from all incidents were taken and learning was shared across the organisation. People who received support were actively involved in the service and benefitted from the learning culture and continuous improvement service delivery.

Staff were supported to develop and enhance their skills continuously, with opportunity for open discussion, further training and future career options available. The registered manager and provider had countless examples. It was evident throughout our assessment of how they had improved the experience of people receiving the service and were passionate about excellence every day and striving to keep learning.

The provider and registered manager actively networked with other services, the local authority, accessed learning resources and kept up to date with changes in the social care system and best practice. This was evidenced through quality practices and a continuous achievement of people's goals, dreams and aspirations.