Goldthorn Lodge

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.

People and a relative we spoke with all described a positive culture within the home. A relative had formally fed back to the provider they were “very lucky to have Goldthorn on [person who used the service’s] side”. Staff were proud to work at the service. One staff member said, “I like everything, I give 200%. Any job I take it seriously and try to make the residents happy and give them what they need quickly.” Staff also described a friendly atmosphere that made work enjoyable. One staff member said, “It’s a friendly vibe here.” Another staff member said, “I love it. Good management, good staff, good residents, it makes it enjoyable.”

Systems were in place that ensured people were at the centre of their care and safe, effective recruitment meant staff were passionate about their roles and desire to support people to achieve the best outcomes.

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.

People and staff described the registered manager as caring and approachable. One staff member said, “I am impressed with [registered manager]. If the residents ask anything he is quick to do anything, the whole building and residents have improved since [registered manager] arrived.”

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and there were clear lines of delegation. Senior care workers and team leaders were given the opportunity to complete Level 5 Diplomas which was positive for the leadership of the service and succession planning.

The registered manager notified us of events that had happened within the service in line with the provider’s legal responsibility to so do.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

People and staff knew how to raise concerns and felt confident to do so. One staff member said, “There is a procedure for whistleblowing. We can go to the top. I’ve never had an issue. If there’s a problem managers sort it there and then.” There was a whistleblowing policy in place and staff were aware of this and the procedures they needed to follow if they needed to raise a concern.

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 described an inclusive culture at the service where staff respected each other and the people who used the service. One staff member told us, “Respect is important. Respecting each other and respecting the residents.” The registered manager told us how much they valued their diverse workforce and embraced different cultures. They said, “We make allowances for festivals and celebrations and accommodate leave requests at these times”.

The provider had policies in place that supported equality, diversity and inclusion and staff completed training in this.

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.

Effective systems were in place to assess, monitor and improve the safety and quality of care at the service. Where improvements were identified as being required, action was taken to make these improvements in a timely manner.

Risks to people, staff and visitors were regularly assessed and mitigated. Partner agencies confirmed information about risk and outcomes was shared as required.

Although the governance systems in place had not identified the medicines concerns we identified, they had identified the need to formalise and record goal setting, and a plan was in progress to address this.

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 registered manager worked effectively with partners to provide positive outcomes for people. As part of this assessment, we asked the Local Authority and Integrated Care Board (ICB) for feedback, and we received no concerns.

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.

The operations manager shared a ‘Good to outstanding road map’ with us that contained areas they planned to focus on to improve the quality of care and people’s outcomes. This showed the provider promoted and supported continuous improvement. We saw significant improvements had been made to the home environment to future proof the service and improve safety.