Stoneleigh Residential Care Home Limited

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 86 (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.

Staff demonstrated exceptional motivation and commitment to placing people at the centre of the care they provide. They told us Stoneleigh Residential Care Home Limited is an excellent place to work and expressed enthusiasm about coming to work because they can spend quality time with residents. One staff member said, “I have worked in other care homes. This is by far the best. Residents are at the centre of everything. We get to spend time with them, get to know them, and provide the best support so they can continue to enjoy their life as much as possible.”

People achieved extremely positive outcomes due to the person-centred care provided. Care professionals praised the service for its skill and ability to support a wide range of complex needs. People’s rights relating to equality and diversity were respected. People continued to be supported to follow their religious and cultural wishes.

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 they felt well supported, and leaders were considerate of any personal issues which might temporarily impact their work, offering assistance and support as needed.

An exceptionally committed senior care and administration team supported the registered manager. The owner had been the registered manager 10 years ago and retained a keen interest in the service. The registered manager was integral in leading the staff team to develop positive relationships with people and relatives, so people achieved excellent outcomes.

People described with happiness how living at Stoneleigh Residential Care Home Limited transformed their lives. Staff shared only positive feedback about working at this care home and praised the support they receive. They commented, “[Registered manager] is exceptional. She is calm, supportive and makes it comfortable to approach her. She is never too busy for you, and nothing is a silly question” and “The registered manager is approachable, I have come to her when I had some personal issues, and she took them on board. Now my working hours are adjusted to suit my circumstances.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voicewould be heard. Staff told us the managers at the service were approachable and open. One member of staff said, “Yes, the manager is available 24/7. She would rather we contacted her than struggle if we couldn’t get through to the duty person.” Another member of staff said, “They are not too precious with themselves, they are approachable, will come and help on the floor and will stand in if one of us is unwell. It feels like they are one of us.”

There were several effective ways staff were able to discuss issues with the management team at the service. Staff told us staff meetings were held regularly, so all staff got a chance to attend and make their views known. Staff felt they were listened to by their managers, and their ideas or concerns were taken seriously and used to continually improve the service. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and staff meetings. The provider had introduced a suggestion box where staff submitted a form to highlight anything they wanted addressing. This could be anything from concerns or praise about operational, environmental or personal issues.

Staff were supported with de-briefing meetings to review actions and look at how things could be improved and how staff could be further supported.When incidents or complaints occurred, staff attended debrief meetings to review actions, identify areas for improvement, and identify additional ways to support staff

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 manager facilitated eligible staff to obtain local incentive vouchers from the local authority. Staff told us the provider listened to their needs and introduced reasonable adjustments to help them perform in their role effectively and reduce any disadvantages. One member of staff told us they were given time off to deal with a school emergency in relation to their child and another staff member described changes to their rota to support their caring responsibilities outside work.

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 acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

The provider had robust quality monitoring processes in place to maintain the quality of care people at the service received. They used administration and senior staff to support the registered manager in different aspects of quality monitoring, this included areas such as maintaining the environment, management of medicines, staffing and people’s care records. Senior management on site would also undertake regular walkarounds and weekly audits of the environment and feedback any day-to-day issues to the provider’s maintenance team. This ensured the environment was very well maintained.

Senior carers and managers held regular meetings to review health information and individual needs, ensuring timely action. They continually developed strategies to meet people’s needs. For example, staff monitored a person who experienced frequent anxiety after moving in. Using approaches agreed with health professionals and managers, staff applied consistent care that reduced anxiety episodes and enabled the person to join more social activities, improving wellbeing.This showed the management team on site used these monitoring processes effectively to ensure high quality outcomes for the people they supported.Both staff and managers were positive about the different governance and assurances processes used to monitor and improve the care for the people they supported.

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.

Managers proactively developed relationships with others to ensure positive outcomes for people. They partnered with individuals, relatives, external healthcare professionals, and community organisations. One healthcare professional said, “They are brilliant at referrals. They maintain excellent working relationships and are forthcoming in learning and trialling new processes, advancing good practice, and delivering high standards of care for their residents.”

People were empowered to work in partnership with the management team, supporting decisions that directly impacted their lives. They actively participated in planning and organising events and activities within the home. The registered manager stated, “Whatever we do is shaped by our residents. It must be something they want and enjoy; otherwise, there is no point in doing it.” One person told us, “We asked for a wine-tasting event, and they hosted it. It was splendid, our families and friends joined in.” Without exception, relatives confirmed the management team’s ethos was to keep people at the heart of everything they did.

The registered manager held positions and maintained links with other organisations to promote learning and improve care pathways, ensuring better integration of care within the community. Their involvement included the steering group for the local authority care academy, local registered managers and deputy managers forums, training and development organisations, and the patient participation group at the local GP surgery. The registered manager explained how their involvement with different organisations influenced care standards, helped deliver high-quality, integrated care that enhanced residents’ wellbeing and quality of life. They explained how they wanted to be at the centre of shaping care for people in their care. They said they aimed to present care homes as a first-choice option when people need care.

Managers also worked with other external organisations to enhance the lives of people living in the home and to promote understanding of the service in the local community. This included inviting schools, colleges and the choirs that come in regularly and especially at Christmas. The benefits of effective partnership working to ensure positive outcomes for people are reflected throughout the quality statements in our report.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 registered manager explained, and a health professional confirmed, the service participated in healthcare projects such as the skin tear pilot and oral health project. The service had also been selected to publish findings from the skin tear project, highlighting its benefits for residents and partners through quick and timely care.

There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas. The registered manager showed they analysed events and supported the team to look at what went wrong, what could be prevented and what needed to change in the future. This was done in a nurturing and positive way where the whole team learnt and were part of improving the service. Any concerns identified were used as an opportunity to develop and learn, with the constant desire to ensure people received optimum care and support. The provider had a robust governance system which demonstrated effective and clear oversight, by adopting an analytical and quality focused approach. All events effecting the service and updates to people’s health and safety, were analysed to support performance improvement across all areas. This created a pathway for the home to develop and adopt a continuous learning approach and drive quality for people, including early identification of change to allow for quick responses, reducing risk and improving wellbeing. Staff and leaders listened, acted and involved people in all aspects of the day-to-day operations within the home. Staff and leaders encouraged feedback from people and other stakeholders and used this information to adapt and change the service to accurately meet peoples’ individual preferences and characteristics. Staff and leaders used learning opportunities to reflect on and improve their practice.