Stella House Residential Care 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 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.

The management team and staff demonstrated a commitment to improving outcomes for people. Staff described a supportive and open culture, and understood the core values of the service. Staff were involved in regular team meetings and there was evidence of strong and effective teamwork. The provider thanked staff regularly for their hard work and valued their contributions to the team. A staff awards day helped to recognise staff achievements and regular positive feedback from leaders to staff valued them for their hard work and commitment to people’s care and support. Staff were encouraged to recognise good practice in their colleagues and compliment them for this, creating a positive culture of recognition.

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 enthusiastic and committed to ensuring people received good quality care. They were closely supported by the provider and the wider management team, and had opportunities to regularly network with managers from the provider’s other homes, either face to face or remotely, to share good practice and learning. Staff were motivated and hardworking, and the work of the team was led well with enthusiastic, compassionate management. Staff, people and relatives spoke positively about the leaders in the service and felt able to approach them at any time.

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

The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place, which included guidance and signposting to support staff to share concerns. Staff understood the processes to follow, should they have any concerns. People and relatives knew their rights and were encouraged to speak out and share their concerns and compliments. They received feedback from the provider when they shared their views.

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 provider employed a diverse staff team and valued individual staff’s contribution. Human resource policies were in place to ensure staff understood their rights as an employee.

Governance systems and processes were in place but required further improvement. The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, and systems of accountability to support this.

The provider had a clear governance framework in place to ensure regular checks of quality and safety were made. However, audits were not always effectively implemented to identify and ensure safety or to drive improvement in some areas. Shortfalls identified through the assessment process, such as for medicines, record keeping and some equipment, had not always been identified or sufficiently addressed through the management team’s quality checks.

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 provider demonstrated they valued and welcomed partnership working. Where improvements were needed beyond the provider’s control, such as with the hospital discharge processes, the provider was proactive in contacting stakeholders to raise their concerns.

People enjoyed input from local communities, such as local school children visiting and sending letters to and from the children to enhance their experiences and activities.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcomes and quality of life for people.

There was a culture of learning and improvement. Staff had pride in working for the service and in the care and support they provided. Networking was established with other local providers. Where concerns were identified, such as through feedback or inspection, the provider responded openly and promptly to ensure improvements in the service. Lessons learned were identified and shared with the staff team and others to help address issues raised and improve outcomes for people.