The Alan Shearer Centre

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.

Leaders promoted an open and positive culture that reflected the provider's values and placed people at the centre of care. Staff told us leaders were approachable, supportive and encouraged open communication. Regular team meetings, supervisions and quality assurance processes provided opportunities for staff to share ideas, discuss concerns and contribute to service development. Leaders listened to feedback and ideas from people, relatives and staff and used this information to shape improvements and review the quality of care provided. This was reflected in the provider's plans for environmental improvements and the move to digital records. It helped create a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Staff demonstrated a shared commitment to supporting people to achieve positive outcomes and described working collaboratively to meet people's individual needs.
 

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.

Leaders were visible, approachable and supportive. Staff told us managers provided regular supervision, reflective discussions, training opportunities and day-to-day guidance to support them in their roles. Staff described receiving support following incidents and when managing complex behaviours, helping them develop confidence, skills and consistent approaches to care.

Most staff described management as fair and responsive and said they felt comfortable raising concerns or suggesting improvements. Leaders promoted an open culture through regular team meetings, supervisions and quality assurance processes. However, some staff were less confident that feedback always resulted in visible change. This indicated leaders could further strengthen communication about actions taken in response to staff concerns and suggestions. Overall, leaders demonstrated a commitment to supporting staff, maintaining quality and improving outcomes for people.
 

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

Staff had access to whistleblowing information and could raise concerns during supervision sessions. Feedback was also gathered through staff surveys, and staff received information about the actions taken in response to their feedback.
 

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 completed equality and diversity training, with refresher training available to maintain awareness of protected characteristics and discrimination. The manager promoted a fair and inclusive culture and ensured support was available to staff when needed.
 

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or
good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and
outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

The provider used a daily handover to identify incidents and concerns so they could be addressed promptly. Managers completed regular audits of maintenance checks, care records and medication records. However, some aspects of monitoring and record keeping were not always robust. For example, there were gaps in water management monitoring, and records did not always clearly document the actions taken in response to issues identified or how these had been resolved.
 

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 service worked well with healthcare professionals, and these relationships helped achieve positive outcomes for people. People were encouraged to take part in social activities, and records showed people were involved in a range of activities in the local community.
 

The provider 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.

Appropriate systems and processes were in place to ensure lessons were learned from incidents, accidents and safeguarding concerns. Learning from other services operated by the same provider was shared and discussed at regular meetings. The provider explored new and specialist equipment to improve people's care and support.