Hendra House Residential 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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 96 (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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The registered manager and care manager inspired a highly motivated staff team who were passionate, empowered and fully aligned with the service’s values. These included passionate leadership, respect and dignity, individual choice and independence, and a highly trained and dedicated staff team. The registered manager and care manager led by example and were visible and approachable. Staff spoke with enthusiasm about their roles and described a culture of trust, respect and collaboration. Many went above and beyond their responsibilities to improve outcomes and experiences for people using the service.

There was a proactive and inclusive approach to developing the culture of the home. Staff at all levels were actively involved in shaping the service, with their ideas leading to meaningful and sustained improvements. Staff described the culture as ‘supportive’, ‘like a family’, and ‘person-centred’. A member of staff said, “It’s such a supportive environment here. I can’t fault [registered manager/provider] and [care manager] is always available when you need them. Our views and suggestions are always encouraged.” Another member of staff told us, “It’s a very happy home. We have a great team and we all work together. Management are brilliant and the training is excellent. I can’t fault anything.” A third member of staff said, “It’s absolutely lovely here. It’s like a big family; absolutely fantastic. [Registered manager/provider and care manager] give us so much training all in person and they’re very supportive, everyone is treated fairly. They’ll put you through any courses you like regardless of role. My [relative] was in a home, I wish it was here, it’s like home from home. I’d choose here myself or for my loved ones. The residents have the best of everything.” Values were reflected in daily practice, interactions, and decision-making. There was a strong emphasis on learning rather than blame. Leaders fostered psychological safety, where staff felt confident to challenge practice and share learning.

People, relatives and external stakeholders consistently described the service as exceptional, highlighting the warm, supportive and empowering environment. The culture within the home promoted not only high-quality care but also continuous learning, development and excellence, resulting in consistently outstanding outcomes for people. A relative told us, “It’s so holistic and they’re like friends here. The staff genuinely seem to love it, they do things like chick hatching for Easter, themed cooking and baking. It’s the little important things that are also done that make it like home from home. They treat residents as family and how we want our loved ones to be treated. That’s the sentiment and I feel passionately about that. That’s what makes them different and heads above the rest.” Feedback from external stakeholders was also very positive. Comments included, ‘I feel the service is well-led and organised. The management team appear approachable, supportive and responsive to issues when they arise. There is clear oversight of residents’ care and good coordination between the home and external healthcare professionals. The service appears to promote a positive culture focused on resident well-being, safety and collaborative working.’ And, ‘Management spoke openly and positively about maintaining an open and transparent culture within the home, with a clear “lessons learned” approach that encourages staff to raise concerns, reflect on practice and share feedback without fear of blame. This was reflected throughout discussions regarding staffing, training, governance and day to day practice within the service.’

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty.

Without exception, staff spoke positively about leaders, describing them as approachable, supportive and empowering. Leaders actively encouraged innovation and professional development, enabling staff to excel in their roles and take ownership of high-quality care delivery. In a recent staff survey 97% of staff strongly agreed that their manager motivated them to do their best. A member of staff commented, “This place is so well-led. They go above and beyond expectations. I feel trusted and they make you feel you want to do your very best and be the best every day.” Staff told us how they had been provided with opportunities for further training to progress in their career and fulfil the responsibilities of their role. Examples included National Vocational Training (NVQ) and additional training to carry out lead roles and champion high standards of care within the home. There was a clear commitment to excellence, with leaders going above and beyond to ensure people received outstanding care that was responsive, inclusive and tailored to individual needs. The citation for the Investors in People platinum award in December 2025 highlighted, ‘The key to your success and what sets you apart from others are the high levels of collaboration, trust and empowerment that have been enabled by inspirational leaders that are visible, accessible and transparent.’

The provider was exceptional at fostering a positive culture where people knew they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff consistently told us they felt safe, confident and empowered to raise concerns, challenge poor practice and suggest improvements, without fear of blame or reprisal. A member of staff said, “We are actively encouraged to raise concerns, question or challenge anything. We are listened to and action is always taken where required.” In a survey carried out as part of Investor in People assessment in December 2025, 85% of staff strongly agreed and 15% agreed that they could challenge behaviour which did not fit with the provider’s values. Freedom to speak up was not just a policy but a lived value within the service. There was an ‘open door’ policy where leaders actively sought staff views, welcomed challenge and responded swiftly and compassionately to concerns raised. For example, rather than a ‘blame’ culture, any investigations considered the well-being of staff and whether there were any personal reasons which may be affecting their work or actions. Leaders used concerns, feedback and incidents as learning opportunities, sharing outcomes openly with staff and using these insights to drive service-wide improvements. We saw evidence of this in the minutes of senior management meetings and staff meetings. This proactive and learning-focused approach resulted in improved staff confidence, morale and care outcomes. Staff were aware of and understood the provider’s policy on whistleblowing. Whistleblowing is a law that protects staff from being treated unfairly by their employer if they have raised genuine concerns about a person’s care.

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Leaders had created an exceptionally inclusive and compassionate culture where equality, diversity and human rights were fully embedded into everyday practice. This culture was consistently demonstrated at all levels of the service and was clearly understood by staff. All staff had received training in equality, diversity and inclusion. Leaders acted as visible champions for inclusion. They proactively sought to understand the diverse backgrounds, identities and experiences of their workforce and used this insight to shape strategy, decision‑making and ways of working. In their Provider Information Return (PIR) the registered manager/provider stated, ‘The equality and diversity of our workforce is no more or less important than that of our residents. Our organisational staff values and beliefs underpin a culture where residents and staff are treated with dignity and respect, putting them at the heart of all decision making, shaping our current and future service objectives. We recognise that every member of staff has their own unique set of experiences, individual personalities and their own life skills. As a result of continuous training and development all staff members understand the importance of diversity and equality thereby enabling our staff to be supported in a manner that permits them to carry out activities that they would not achieve without the correct support.’

Staff told us how the registered manager/provider had made reasonable adjustments to their role, including shift patterns and even creating a new role to enable staff to perform to the best of their ability without additional stress. The home’s Investor in People assessment identified that, ‘Managers and team leaders had timely chats with staff to check on their welfare and understanding of any key messages. They actively listened to contributions and concerns, including personal issues which may impact on motivation or performance.’ Staff consistently told us they felt respected, empowered and able to be themselves at work. The inclusive culture had a direct and demonstrable impact on staff morale, retention, teamwork and the quality of care people received. As previously mentioned in this report, staff retention was very high, turnover low and there was a waiting list of people wanting to join the staff team. Leaders’ commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion was a clear strength of the service and contributed significantly to its success.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

Leaders demonstrated exceptional oversight and forward planning, ensuring the service was resilient, adaptable and consistently delivering high-quality care. Improvements were not only achieved but sustained over time, with clear evidence of positive outcomes for people. The service had been rated as outstanding in our last 2 inspections and for the second time the service had been awarded the platinum award by Investors in People which is the highest level achievable. The home had achieved numerous accolades over the past 8 years. In 2025 and 2026 the home was rated as being in the top 20 of care homes in the West Midlands region. In 2025 the home won the National Care Employer of the Year award. At the beginning of 2026 they had been nominated for the Excellence in Oral Care Award. This demonstrated governance, management and sustainability were a clear strength of the service and made a significant contribution to the consistently high standards experienced by people.

Leaders drew on multiple sources of information, including audit findings, feedback, and outcomes, to inform strategic decision-making and enhance care delivery. Action plans were developed to identify areas for improvement and were addressed within agreed timescales. Governance arrangements went beyond routine checks and were used proactively to identify trends, anticipate risks and drive continuous improvement. Leaders avoided complacency and used benchmark data to compare how well they performed against other providers in the sector at local, regional and national levels. These included national benchmarking frameworks as well as their own research into competitors.

There was a strong, service‑wide culture of ownership and accountability, with staff at all levels actively engaged in quality assurance and improvement activities. Learning from incidents, complaints and feedback was shared openly and used to make sustained and meaningful improvements. Staff were actively consulted and involved in making improvements to the service provided. Examples included care planning, daily routines and replacement equipment.

Staff received high quality supervision, appraisal and ongoing training that strengthened skills and maintained safe practice. Without exception, all staff were very positive about the training and support they received.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The service worked proactively and collaboratively with a wide range of partners, including healthcare professionals, community organisations and local networks, to shape and enhance care delivery. These relationships were strong, well-established and characterised by shared values, trust and mutual respect. A partner said, “In my opinion there is a very positive and collaborative working relationship between the care home staff and the primary care team. Communication is open and respectful, and there is a shared focus on providing person-centred care for residents. The staff work well with external professionals including GPs, district nurses, community teams and secondary care services. I feel there is a strong culture of teamwork, with residents’ needs remaining at the centre of decision-making.”

Leaders went beyond traditional partnership working, actively seeking opportunities to co‑produce services, share learning and drive innovation. The registered manager and care manager were members of a patient group at the local doctor’s surgery where they shared feedback from the people who lived at the home about the service provided by the practice. This forum also allowed them to understand and appreciate the challenges faced by the practice and to amend and improve their services to benefit both parties. Local surgeries were involved in developing a new pain control initiative and the care manager had been asked to make an application to represent Ludlow surgeries on this initiative because of the care manager’s passion for the care of older people.

The service played an active role in the local community, creating meaningful links that enriched people’s lives and promoted inclusion. People attended local places of worship as well as receiving spiritual assistance in the home. People also attended the local church to enjoy coffee, cake and a chat. Local youth groups, such as Brownies, Cubs and Beavers visited the home throughout the year. People were involved in a local project entitled, ‘Ludlow-then and now’ where workshops were held to stimulate people’s memories of Ludlow in the past. The home was the only care home to be represented at the ceremony to mark the achievements of the project. The home was part of the local integration programme, an initiative between junior schools where children visited the home and read to people as well as talking to them about their lives and experiences. People also visited the local school to watch performances by the children. Many people enjoyed attending a local day centre once a month for parties and activities. These strong partnerships had a clear and demonstrable impact on people’s experiences, outcomes and quality of life. Partnership working was a key strength of the service.

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 provider demonstrated a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Incidents, safeguarding concerns and complaints were regularly reviewed, with clear evidence that learning was identified and shared across the staff team. Quality assurance systems were effective in identifying areas for improvement, and these were followed through with clear actions. Staff told us they were encouraged to reflect on practice and were supported through supervision and training to improve outcomes for people.