Dorrington House (Wells)

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 inspection we rated this key question Requires Improvement. At this inspection 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.

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

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.

The registered manager, deputy manager and area manager all told us they strived to make sure people were consistently provided with good quality care and made sure staff were properly trained to fully meet people’s needs.

Staff demonstrated values of being caring and delivering person-centred care. Staff also told us they would recommend the home to friends and family members. Comments from staff included, “I would be confident that [friends or family] would receive safe, compassionate, dignified, and person-centred care.” “I feel well supported by the Registered Manager and wider management team. There is an open culture where staff can raise concerns, seek advice, and access support when needed.” And, “The most rewarding aspect is making a positive difference to residents’ lives; supporting them to maintain their wellbeing and independence, and working alongside a dedicated and compassionate team.”

People living in the home and their representatives also made positive comments about the home. Such as, “They look after [relative] very well and give me peace of mind.” And, “They treat [people] very well, with respect, and staff are always present and attentive.”

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.

The registered manager was experienced and knowledgeable about their responsibilities and told us they worked hard to run a high-quality service for people living and working in the home. They also told us they felt very well supported in their role.Staff, people living in the home and their representatives were very complimentary about the registered manager, management team and the ethos of the whole service.People and representatives told us the management team was approachable, and they could speak to them when they wished to.Staff felt well supported by the registered manager and were complimentary about the level of support they received.A member of staff told us, “Dorrington House is a supportive workplace that values staff development and promotes high-quality, person-centred care.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.The registered manager and management team promoted a culture of being open and honest. Staff told us they were encouraged to speak up if they had any concerns and felt comfortable doing so. A member of staff told us, “Team meetings are held regularly to discuss service developments, share learning, review incidents, and ensure effective communication.”The service had effective systems and processes to help ensure people knew how and felt confident to speak up, raise concerns and whistle-blow, without fear of retribution.

A person’s representative told us they were happy for us to use some of their feedback and discuss them with the management team. This person said “They will probably be aware of my identity as I do discuss any shortfalls with them! It is only ever done constructively, as they all work very hard, but at the end of the day I am responsible for [relative]’s welfare.”

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.The management team listened to feedback from staff through various channels such as quality surveys, team meetings and 1-1 supervisions. This helped ensure the management team and provider promoted an inclusive and fair culture throughout the service.

Staff told us they felt supported to develop their skills and knowledge and were offered training to help with career development. Staff also told us they felt the culture of the organisation was fair and open. For example, a member of staff told us how the management team respected and supported them to follow their faith, which included taking time out to pray.Another member of staff told us how they lived in a property that was owned by the provider and said they were supported well and any repairs that were needed were always carried out very quickly. A further member of staff told us they had been supported well when they needed to take some time off at short notice, after a loved one had passed away.Staff also told us they were happy with their rotas and were able to maintain a good work life balance.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

The registered manager was experienced and knowledgeable about their responsibilities. They also understood, and worked hard to ensure compliance with, the legal regulations.Senior staff and management carried out regular audits and checks to help make sure a good service was consistently provided and ensure people’s safety. Audits covered areas such as medicines, care plans, risk assessments, health and safety, accidents and incidents.

Although regular checks and audits were also carried out in respect of infection control, equipment and the environment, the management team acknowledged that some improvements had been required in these areas and had taken swift and appropriate action to ensure these were made.Although the provider was compliant with this quality statement by the end of our inspection, our scoring and rating will need to reflect the need for the improvements to become embedded and be maintained.

Staff told us they felt the service was well managed and said the management team were approachable and supportive. Staff made comments such as, “Been supported when needed and love working here.” And, “Seen people developing, like [area manager] who has worked [their] way up.A member of staff also told us, “Audits, competency checks, observations, and spot checks are completed to ensure compliance and maintain high standards of care.”

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.

People’s care and support plans demonstrated that people were referred to appropriate healthcare professionals when needed. Information and guidance from external healthcare professionals was shared with care staff to help ensure consistency in providing care and support.

The service encouraged partnership working. Staff supported people to attend health appointments and supported them with reviews of their care. The staff and management team also promoted visitors coming to the home without prior arrangement.

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.

Staff told us that if things went wrong, the issues were discussed during team meetings and individual support and supervisions.The service had effective systems and processes to help ensure that lessons were learnt when things went wrong. Appropriate action was taken to ensure improvements were made.A member of staff told us, “Incidents are reviewed and investigated where appropriate. Lessons learned are shared through team meetings, supervisions, handovers, audits, and training to improve outcomes and reduce the risk of recurrence.” This member of staff also explained, “We are always looking for opportunities to improve. Staff are encouraged to share ideas and feedback to help enhance the quality of care and resident’s experiences.”The management team also encouraged staff members to develop and improve, by supporting them with opportunities to further their skills and training.