Acomb 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 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.

Management encouraged a positive approach to care, and people told us the atmosphere in the home felt warm and supportive. Staff described good teamwork and said they aimed to provide high‑quality, person‑centred care.

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.

Staff told us managers were approachable and responsive when issues were raised. One staff member said, "The organisation has continued to improve leadership, communication, training, and staff support. The current management team is particularly strong, supportive, and professional."People and relatives said leaders were friendly, visible and willing to listen. Staff said they received guidance when needed and felt supported to deliver safe, compassionate care. Leaders demonstrated commitment to improving quality.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns and believed managers would act on them. They said they could speak openly about issues affecting their work and felt safe to challenge poor practice. The provider had systems for staff to escalate concerns, and new staff said they were encouraged to use these. Leaders responded to concerns constructively and shared learning within the team. Some staff said communication between shifts could improve, which management acknowledged and were working to strengthen this.

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.

Staff said colleagues worked well together and treated each other with respect. Training on equality and human rights was available, and most staff had completed it.

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.

Senior staff carried out audits and reviewed incidents to reduce risks and improve safety. Leaders understood their regulatory responsibilities and acted when shortfalls were identified. Some aspects of governance required further strengthening to ensure actions were consistently completed and recorded. However, people’s day‑to‑day experiences of care were positive, and the service was stable and well organised.

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, but communication needed to be more robust.

Staff described good relationships with local health teams and community groups. People were supported to stay connected with friends, family and community activities, and leaders encouraged inclusive participation. A number of partners said communication could be strengthened, and leaders were reviewing processes to ensure information was shared promptly and consistently with a meeting planned to support this.

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. This included flexible working practices to retain skilled staff and personalised activity planning to reduce social isolation. The managment team used learning from other homes within the organisation to share good practice.

Staff described recent changes that had led to improvements in daily routines and care planning. Training opportunities were available to help staff develop their skills. Leaders promoted reflective practice and encouraged staff to share ideas for improvement. There was a clear commitment to developing the service and enhancing people’s experiences. One staff member told us about how they had developed reading the homes newsletter into a dictaphone for people to listen to who were unable to read so well.