Henson Court

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.

The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to governance. Improvements were found at this assessment, and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 home had a vision that was shared by leaders and staff.

Leaders encouraged a culture that promoted inclusion and respect. People were at the centre of staff’ focus and this was reflected in a positive person-centred approach. Leaders and staff collaborated with families and partner in care.

We observed staff working consistently to support people’s needs and goals. Leaders were active in people’s support and demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s needs. One professional said, “The office was accessible to staff, and the manager was happy to provide hands on care.”

Staff completed Equality and Diversity learning as part of their core training. Ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation were captured within people's care plans. Records showed that consistent and regular supervisions were undertaken, while staff meetings were held so staff could provide feedback and contribute.

People were supported by leaders who were capable, compassionate and inclusive in their approach.

Leaders were knowledgeable about the needs of people with learning disabilities and understood the approaches needed to ensure that people living at the home received a good quality of life. Leaders were alert to any examples of poor care, through their own direct involvement in people’s support, as well as through robust and consistent quality assurance systems.

Professionals spoke positively about the approach of leaders. One professional said, “Management and staff present as approachable, professional, and committed to delivering a high standard of care. They respond well to queries and are open to discussing any concerns. Their attitude demonstrates respect, consistency, and a genuine focus on the wellbeing of the people they support.”

Staff and leaders acted with openness, honesty and transparency.

Staff were encouraged to raise concerns and leaders valued their opinions and input into people’s support. Staff had become involved in meetings to discuss people’s Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) support and put forward their views. Staff were involved in lessons learnt debriefs with leaders to discuss openly why incidents had occurred and what changes were needed, if any.

We observed staff communicating consistently and effectively throughout the inspection. Staff confirmed that leaders were approachable and receptive to concerns and ideas about people’s support. They felt comfortable doing this.

Systems and processes were in place to enable staff to raise concerns anonymously if they wished. The provider had a detailed and thorough policy guiding staff on raising concerns, detailing pathways to speak up freely and for whistleblowing.

Leaders acted to continually review and improve the culture of the organisation in the context of equality, diversity and inclusion. The provider had a workforce who came from varied and diverse backgrounds.

The provider had policies and procedures in place to create an inclusive environment that upheld the principles of equality and diversity. The provider was aware of their duty as an employer, to understand and respect people’s protected characteristics and prevent discrimination. Staff provided positive feedback about their experiences working for the provider and said they were treated well and fairly.

The providers information return stated,” At Henson Court, the principles of Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity, and Autonomy (FREDA) are deeply embedded into every aspect of our care delivery and team culture. These principles are also reinforced through staff training, team meetings, and our organisational values. The workforce development programmes and inclusive leadership model reflect the same FREDA principles. We ensure staff feel respected, included, and able to grow within a fair and transparent system.”

The provider had made improvements to its governance processes since our previous inspection. The provider now ensured that monitoring systems and processes to assess and improve the quality andsafety of the service operated effectively.

The provider had robust and effective systems in place to manage the current and future performance. Quality assurance checks and audits were regularly conducted by staff at the home and by the providers’ operational and compliance teams. Care compliance audits, safeguarding reviews and risk indicator meetings were completed to review the quality and safety of care being delivered. Operations staff and leaders consistently reviewed actions plans to ensure that issues or development were being addressed.

The home was well led. There were clear and effective governance, management and accountability arrangements, while staff understood their role and responsibilities. The manager received consistent support from the provider, their quality assurance team and PBS team in managing oversight of the home.

The home had recently experienced a change in managers, but relatives, staff and professionals told us that the transition had been managed well, and the home had sustained good effective leadership throughout. Families and partners in care spoke positively about the leadership team, describing them as responsive and effective at keeping them informed of their loved one’s progress.

Regulatory responsibilities were understood by leaders and there were robust arrangements for the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data, records and data management systems.

Leaders and staff worked effectively with external partners to ensure people receive effective and coordinated care.

Staff worked in partnership regularly with GPs, local authority learning disability teams, SaLT (Speech and Language Therapists) and social workers amongst others, ensuring that information and specialist guidance was used to inform care planning and support. One professional said, “Management and staff present as approachable, professional, and committed to delivering a high standard of care. They respond well to queries and are open to discussing any concerns. Their attitude demonstrates respect, consistency, and a genuine focus on the wellbeing of the people they support.”

Records showed that appropriate and timely referrals had been made for any specialist external support. One professional said, “We have found the partnership working to be positive and constructive.”

Staff and leaders had a good understanding of how to make improvements happen. The approach was consistent and included measuring outcomes and impact. Robust reviewing of people’s care supported this approach.

Processes were in place to learn and review when things went wrong. Staff and leaders discussed incidents together and reviewed where care practices could be improved or where changes in people’s support was needed. One professional said, “Staff were able to put ideas forwards and were actively part of the review. (The manager) felt that staff needed to become more familiar to speak to professionals and be part of managing a review themselves. (The manager) was very proactively encouraging staff to discuss anything that would benefit the resident.”

Leaders demonstrated a commitment to staff learning and professional development. The provider said, “We believe in growing our own talent and actively invest in staff development. This year, we introduced two new internal development programmes: the Aspiring Managers and Aspiring Team Leaders initiatives. These are supported across the organisation by all managers and offer staff clear progression pathways, with mentoring, shadowing opportunities, and practical leadership experience.” Staff told us that the provider looked to promote from within and upskill staff to senior positions. They spoke positively about the additional learning opportunities they were offered.