Symonds 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 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 71 (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.

Staff and people using the service felt there was a positive culture at the service. Communication channels between people, staff and management were open and effective. One person told us, “I like the carers, it is a clean home, they treat me with dignity, and I can do what I like.” One relative said, “I know staff will listen if I have any problems.”

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 was passionate about providing safe and effective person-centred care to the people living at Symonds House. All staff were open to suggestions for improving the service. A member of the local authority team told us that the registered manager has completed and rectified several items that have been discussed with them to improve the service.

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

Staff told us they felt confident to speak up and were assured they would be listened to. They said they had regular opportunities to raise ideas or concerns during one-to-one supervisions, through the morning flash meetings and staff meetings. Staff also told us that managers were visible and approachable. One relative told us, “The registered manager is very approachable.” Another relative said, “I have had quite a few chats with the registered manager, and they are fine. She is approachable.”

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.

There was a policy in place to protect staff from harassment and bullying and a focus on protected characteristics under the Equality Act. The registered manager had developed an inclusive workforce and recognised the value of diversity amongst the team.

The provider had some clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and 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.

We identified some issues on our first visit which included the window restrictors and an issue with a person’s care record. After us having identified the issues, these had been acted upon by the time of our second visit to the service.

The provider had governance systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, but they were not always effective. The registered manager told us they carried out regular walkarounds of the home to check the quality of care being provided and ensure the environment remained safe for people. A programme of regular audits was carried out by the registered manager and deputy managers. These covered key areas such as medicines management, health and safety, and care planning. Whilst we found issues with medicine management, accident, incident and safeguarding reporting, action plans were put in place and progress was to be monitored by the provider to ensure they were completed.

Equipment used within the home was regularly serviced and maintained in line with manufacturer guidance.

The registered manager and deputy manager monitored staff training needs. Staff told us they received the training they needed to carry out their roles and felt confident in their responsibilities. Training records confirmed staff received regular updates to maintain their knowledge and skills.

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.

The registered manager worked in partnership with the local authority and were keen to listen and learn to make improvements to ensure that they provided good care to all.

The provider did not always focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They did not always encourage creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They did not always actively contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

Staff did not always actively contribute to safe, effective practice and improvements to care and were not always, discussed in daily handover and staff meetings, especially at the weekends.

Improvements were being made to the systems and processes that were in place to ensure lessons were learned when things went wrong.

Where accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns had been fully recorded, they were reviewed and analysed to identify any emerging themes or patterns. Where necessary, changes were made to practice reducing the risk of recurrence and improve outcomes for people using the service. However, improvements were needed to ensure all accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns are recorded and fully analysed.

Information and learning from incidents that had been recorded were shared with staff through regular team meetings, clinical discussions and daily handovers. This helped ensure staff remained informed and supported a consistent and proactive approach to safety and risk management.