Hillcrest 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 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 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. There was a positive approach to continuous development of the service. The provider, managers and staff shared a culture of valuing people who lived at the home as individuals. There was commitment to providing caring, inclusive and responsive, person-centred care. A staff member said there was a good culture of ‘we can always be better.’

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. At the time of the inspection the service did not have a registered manager in place. The provider was in the process of recruiting to the post. The providers were very involved with the running and development of the home. Staff members said of the providers, “They are here all the time. They know the home. They really can’t be faulted” and “I have the utmost respect for them.” Managers were skilled and knowledgeable. They had good oversight of the service and a strong focus on staff well-being. Staff spoke positively about the managers. One staff member said, “They are always there to encourage us.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The service had systems in place to support an open and honest culture, including clear policies and processes for raising concerns. The provider and managers encouraged open communication and demonstrated they were responsive. An example observed during inspection was a new trial of the lunch service that staff had identified didn’t work as well as expected. Managers listened to staff and then tried a different approach.

Staff told us they felt confident to raise concerns or ideas and that their views were listened to. A staff member said, “[Managers] are really helpful. They are open and helpful. They take time to listen to us.”

The provider worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. The provider and managers valued diversity in their workforce and worked flexibly with staff to ensure their needs were identified and respected.

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 and managers worked very closely to ensure effective oversight and running of the home. The provider and managers had good knowledge of the service. There was a range of quality monitoring and auditing in place. This included regular meetings and oversight throughout the management of the home.

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. Managers had encouraged working with local communities and partner organisations.

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. There was a strong learning culture. The provider and managers were open and honest and showed a genuine commitment to continuous improvement, learning and development. There was a detailed improvement plan that had assisted oversight of recent developments within the home.