Beechmore Court

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 93 (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 which was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

There was a well‑established culture which staff understood and embraced. Leaders played a vital role in enabling this high‑performing culture. Staff described managers as supportive, approachable and invested in their development. Staff across roles reported they felt listened to, valued and able to share ideas for improvement. This inclusive leadership style enabled transparent communication and a shared sense of responsibility for high‑quality care that upheld people’s rights. The registered manager told us, “We take our duty to protect the rights of people we serve seriously and work to uphold human rights values.” This ethos was demonstrated by numerous examples of staff going above and beyond to support people to challenge assumptions made about them, overturn legal decisions so they could claim their rights to live independent lives or get access to services they needed.

Staff told us the values of dignity, respect and kindness shaped their work. Comments from staff included, “The values and ethos that the home is built on are clear from the very beginning” and “The welcoming atmosphere Beechmore Court provides to everyone I think is particularly special.” People and relatives consistently described the home as warm and welcoming, with one relative stating, “It is a place where everyone seems to love everyone else.”

The provider 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.

Leadership was strong, visible and consistently praised by people, staff and external professionals. The registered manager told us they fostered a ‘no blame’ culture so staff felt supported and valued. Specific feedback about the registered manager was extremely positive. People told us the registered manager was “excellent,” “amazing” and “always available and so helpful.”

Staff feedback about the senior leaders was also extremely positive. One member of staff told us, “Primarily, it is clear to me that the leaders care about their roles and strive to be knowledgeable and skilled in their positions.” Another member of staff described the registered manager as “open, approachable and supportive… really making sure people got the best care possible.” Staff reported feeling empowered to take time with people, be able to listen carefully and to tailor care to each person’s individual preferences.

External partners echoed the positive view of the leadership of the home. One professional told us, “The registered manager does a great job, they are an excellent leader in care.” Another said, “I can't stress enough how exceptional the care is and how much of a pleasure it is to work with their staff particularly the senior care team.”

The provider fostered an open culture, where staff felt able to raise concerns and they were confident leaders would take the right action to resolve things. Feedback from staff included, “From the beginning, I have been specifically told to voice concerns” and “There is an open-door policy to raise concerns anytime.”

The provider ensured staff had a range of opportunities and forums to share ideas for improvements. There were a range of regular meetings held within the home where various aspects of service delivery were discussed. One member of staff told us senior leaders listened and increased staff numbers when they were feeling rushed at certain parts of the day.

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.

Staff received equality and diversity training to ensure they understood how to apply these principles in their work. Equality and inclusion were regular agenda items in staff supervisions and appraisals. Staff from diverse backgrounds reported feeling respected and valued and they described leaders as fair, approachable and supportive. We received consistently positive feedback from staff. One staff member said, “I will never work anywhere else. The manager is very supportive. I couldn’t ask for more.” Another said, “It is not only the residents that are looked after well but also the staff.”

Staff’s spiritual needs were respected and supported regardless of their religious denomination. The registered manager told us they provided a prayer room during Ramadan for people of the Muslim faith and ensured staff who were fasting had regular breaks. Internal communications were strong, with regular forums, handovers, and opportunities to influence improvements.

The provider also created a culture where staff successes were celebrated through award schemes and public praise. The provider carried out staff surveys which enabled staff to share their experiences of working for the provider anonymously. Staff consistently described Beechmore Court as a “big family” with a positive atmosphere where leaders were visible, compassionate and committed to staff wellbeing and equality.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver excellent quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when needed. The registered manager understood and demonstrated compliance with regulatory requirements.

The provider used high-quality data and intelligence to monitor risk and performance. This informed decision-making at all levels and enabled the service to remain responsive and resilient. There was a comprehensive framework of audits across all areas of the service including care plans, risk assessments, complaints, safeguarding, health and safety, accidents and incidents, medicines, infection control and staffing levels. Audit outcomes were analysed and acted upon swiftly, with clear action plans and accountability structures ensuring continuous and measurable improvement. The registered manager regularly reported on these outcomes to the board of trustees which ensured a high level of accountability and scrutiny. They also used reports from the pain management system to get a view of how well staff responded to people’s pain across the service each month. This monthly report helped find trends and themes and detect gaps in care so improvements could be made. Call bell audits also helped the registered manager assess staffing levels and identify when more staff were needed.

Effective oversight of systems also resulted in care plans which were highly detailed and person‑centred, clearly reflecting people’s hobbies, interests and meaningful relationships. This supported the delivery of excellent person-centred care in an environment where people felt valued. Many people and relatives expressed gratitude for the exceptional care they received. Comments included, “They are so fantastic, and it comes from the top” and “I never dreamt that a care home could be this good.”

Staff from all departments attended regular meetings to ensure consistency and shared understanding of people’s needs. The culture of openness and accountability has contributed to high staff morale and retention of staff. This has in turn generated much better outcomes for people. It has also increased confidence in the service for people, their relatives, staff and outside health and social care agencies. This was evidenced in the many messages from relatives expressing their gratitude for the exceptional care their family member had received. Comments included, I would like to thank you and your wonderful team for the superb care that has been given to my [family member]” and “You are exceptional people and we are so grateful.”

External partners were consistently positive about the management of the service. One professional told us, “I can't fault the service they provide. The care is exceptional.” The consistency and quality in the governance systems were echoed in the recent external quality assurance report from the Local Authority who told us was “so positive with no recommendations.”

The provider always supported strong, effective relationships with external partners, so services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

Staff were proud of the effective partnerships and communities they helped to develop which supported excellent outcomes for people. The registered manager told us, “We work proactively to facilitate an excellent working relationship, built on mutual respect and trust with external partners such as GPs and multi-disciplinary teams and this reaps great results for us and the people we support.” Numerous examples showed the home’s strong ethos of partnership working which enhanced people’s quality of life, upheld their rights and independence and ensured their needs were met by the right professionals at the right time. The registered manager told us how they worked with one person, their family, advocates, social workers and occupational therapists to advocate for someone who wanted to overturn the Deprivation of Liberty authorisation that had been put in place for them. With persistent partnership working and a strong commitment to upholding the person’s rights the person was supported to challenge the decision and facilitate a safe return to independent living in their own home.

People, relatives, staff, volunteers and external professionals were extremely positive about the culture of teamwork and collaboration. People and relatives told us staff communicated well and kept them up to date with key information. One person said, “The staff are amazing, and they are just as amazing when my daughter visits, they greet her and update her before she even gets to me.”

External health and social care professionals described communication as “exceptional,” and they told us the provider worked proactively with them on risk management and safeguarding showing strong partnership working. They also told us people consistently received compassionate and empowering care. Professionals said the staff were capable and knowledgeable, with one professional describing senior staff and management as “exceptional… always respond quickly and efficiently.”

The home was embedded in the local community, with intergenerational links, volunteer involvement and community activities that enhanced and enriched people’s lives. One person said, “We are one big family… we don’t think about competing needs.”

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. The registered manager kept their knowledge up to date and was receptive to feedback around areas of improvement. The registered manager reviewed safety to drive improvements and staff reported that learning was routinely shared.

Feedback from all partners was encouraged and used to drive continuous improvements. Staff told us they were asked to provide their views on how practice could be improved. People, relatives and professionals were invited to complete feedback surveys, to enable them to raise concerns and suggestions. Records showed all of these people were extremely happy with the service and there were continuous high satisfaction levels.

The service had introduced a range of technology tools to improve the delivery of safe high-quality care. They had recently introduced a digital sign in and out process at reception which enabled visitors to leave real‑time feedback about their visit.

The introduction of the new fluid monitoring system had resulted in a reduction of falls incidents across the home as people had better fluid intake throughout the day. The registered manager told us, “With the investment of around 30 minutes of management time per day fluid intake can be monitored and maintained at optimum levels The positive impact of this technology upon the health and wellbeing of people living with us cannot be overstated.”The provider had also recently started using an innovative AI-powered pain assessment system which was designed for people who can’t easily communicate their pain. The system enables care staff to identify when people are in discomfort or pain.

The provider was also exploring innovative technology such as adaptive acoustic monitoring to enhance night‑time safety. The service also used virtual reality headsets to provide immersive experiences for entertainment and cognitive stimulation. One member of staff told us, “The future vision is to strive to become better and adapt to ever changing environment and technology.”

Staff were encouraged to develop professionally, with access to e‑learning, face‑to‑face training and reflective practice. One member of staff told us, “As I have been in this position for less than six months, the role is still evolving, and I continue to learn and develop new skills on a regular basis.” Staff also regularly attended local forums to learn and bring innovative ideas into the home. One member of staff told us, “We regularly attend the Bromley Council Activities Forum. They have workshops, hands on training and lots of links for us to use.”