Northbrooke 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 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 75 (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 and management team 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 was very committed to providing a caring, person-centred service which promoted people’s rights. There was a culture of openness, learning and continuous improvement to the service provided. Everyone we spoke with was positive about the atmosphere and culture at the home. Discussions with staff and the management team and our observations whilst at Northbrooke House reflected this ethos. A family member told us, “There is almost an open-door policy here, they are not hiding anything from me, you don’t feel you are intruding when you visit.”

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.

There had been significant changes in the management structure over the past 10 months. There was now a settled management structure with senior staff, head of care, deputy manager, manager, senior management team and provider’s representative. Staff were positive about the management team. Discussions with all levels of the management team showed they knew people, family members and staff individually. External professionals were positive about the new management team telling us, “During my recent visits there has always been a manager available, and they are very involved in the delivery of care and developing positive practice.” Another said, “Some family members were unsettled by the changes to senior staff last year, but they raised no concerns with me about the current management.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. All staff said they felt able to raise anything with the management team and felt they would be listened to. Care staff were positive about working at Northbrooke House and would recommend it as a good place to work. An external professional told us, “The manager is really approachable, in fact I have found all the staff including the receptionist helpful and welcoming. I am always grateful to the manager who finds to talk to me in detail about the residents I am assessing.” A family member said, “The managers very good, I knocked on the door the other day and was able to talk to her straight away.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. There was an inclusive and fair culture with equality and equity for staff. All staff were positive about working at Northbrooke House and felt they were treated with respect. The management team valued diversity and ensured best practice guidelines were followed. For example, a staff member told us about the support they had received when they had had a serious health condition.

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 provider had a range of quality monitoring governance procedures. This included audits of the service and surveys of people and family members views and family forums. The provider’s senior management team oversaw the auditing and governance procedures of the manager and regularly attended the service. The provider’s representative was based at Northbrooke House and told us they spoke with staff and observed care on a daily basis when at the home. They identified this helped them monitor the quality of the overall service people received. An external professional told us, “Northbrooke House appears to be a well-run home.” Another external professional said, “The service is well managed. Management are very professional and knowledgeable about their residents and they answer all my questions.”

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 management team expressed an open positive attitude to receiving support and understood how and where they could access support. They had developed links with various local community organisations including schools, activities and religious organisations. Feedback from external professionals and family members was positive.

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. The management team was committed to improving the service. A comprehensive action plan had been developed to document and monitor improvements. Staff were enthusiastic about the improvements at the home and felt the management changes had been a positive influence on the service raising the quality of care and overall morale of the staff team. This was reflected by external health and social care professionals one of whom said, “I have seen an improvement in the home since the current manager arrived.”