50 Vassall Road

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 outstanding. 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 82 (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.

There was an open, honest, friendly culture within the service, and staff, the service coordinator and the registered manager had a positive approach. The vision of the service was shared with staff and promoted by the management team. The management team and the staff were committed to improving the quality of life for the people they supported, enabling them to achieve positive outcomes with an empowering approach. This was continually kept under review involving the person and people important to them. The staff were strong advocates for people supporting them to do the things they enjoyed and ensuring they had access to health and social care professionals.

Staff consistently described how they supported people using a person-centred approach and confirmed there was effective communication across the team. One staff member said, “I feel supported in my role. Staff collaboration is top notch, and we regularly use the communication book to share information between staff.” Another member of staff told us, “We do not take a one size fit all approach for people we support. We support them according to their needs and involve them with decisions about their daily life.” This helped to ensure people’s needs, preferences and wellbeing were consistently understood and supported promoting a positive working culture within the home.

The provider demonstrated how they followed the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture. People were supported in a homely environment that promoted independence, dignity, and involvement in the local community. The service was designed to feel comfortable and homely, helping people to feel at ease and comfortable in their surroundings. People were encouraged and supported to live ordinary lives, supported to access local services and participate in community activities of their choosing.

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness, and honesty.

Feedback from health and social care professionals was extremely positive about the management and the culture of the service. Comments included, “I believe that the home is well led, with the service coordinator going above and beyond to meet the needs and requirements for the people he supports” and “He is diligent in his management and is always approachable and professional. He leads a knowledgeable, caring, and personable team who have the best interests of the people.” A relative told us, “(name of service coordinator) goes above and beyond informing me about everything. I have no concerns.”

All staff praised the management support that was available to them and described a team that worked together to ensure people were the centre of their care and support. A member of staff told us, “The manager at Vassall Rd is very approachable, he goes above and beyond to support staff.”

The provider’s quality team visited the service to meet with people, staff and complete checks on the home ensuring ongoing compliance. The operations manager was a frequent visitor to the service, supporting the registered manager, service coordinator and the staff team alongside their responsibility to complete checks on compliance to the action plans that were in place.

The Trust was rolling out leadership training, The registered manager confirmed they had recently completed this and the service coordinator said they were completing this soon. The service coordinator told us they were empowered to manage the service on a day-to-day basis and enjoyed the responsibility. They were extremely passionate about providing care and support that was person centred and led by the person. The registered manager was responsible for 3 other services and visited the service on a fortnightly basis but had regular phone calls with the service co-ordinator and the staff.

The registered manager attended monthly management meeting where learning and risks were discussed across the whole organisation.

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

Staff felt confident to speak up and raise concerns with the management team or provider, knowing they would be listened to and action would be taken. Policies and procedures also signposted staff to external agencies, including the local authority, CQC and police, ensuring there were multiple routes for reporting concerns. This helped foster a culture of openness, transparency, and accountability.

A member of staff told us, “I have no issue approaching or discussing work or personal related issues with my superiors. They are very approachable and helpful.” This was echoed by all staff we spoke with.

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 felt valued, supported, and included, which contributed to positive morale and job satisfaction. Regular training, supervision, and opportunities to share their views helped staff feel confident in their roles, while equality and diversity policies promoted an inclusive culture that respected the rights of both people using the service and staff.

Staff had completed training in sexual harassment. This was relatively new training introduced by Milestones Trust for all staff. The training provided staff with the skills and knowledge to recognise, prevent, and respond appropriately to sexual harassment, helping to promote a safe, respectful, and inclusive working environment.

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.

Audits were used to identify areas for improvement across the service, including care delivery, medicines management, staffing, training, health and safety, and the environment. Where issues were identified, action plans were put in place and monitored to completion. This helped ensure learning was embedded, improvements were sustained, and people received safe, effective, and well-led care that met their needs.

The organisation’s quality team also completed comprehensive quarterly audits aligned to the key questions of whether the service was safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led. Findings were shared with the service coordinator, the registered manager, and the operations manager, who maintained oversight and followed up on areas for improvement during subsequent visits.

The service coordinator was able to demonstrate that audits were consistently completed, and actions were monitored through to completion. The service coordinator had implemented additional audits which included regular review of daily care records and the cleanliness of the home. Feedback was provided to the team via supervisions, team meetings, and the daily handovers. This provided effective governance and accountability, supporting improvements and positive outcomes for people using the service.

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.

People benefited from coordinated and seamless care because staff worked effectively with external health professionals. Positive communication, timely sharing of care plans and regular updates when needs changed helped ensure care remained consistent, responsive, and centred on people’s individual needs.

Feedback from health professionals was extremely positive in how the staff worked with them in partnership to ensure care was seamless for people. Comments included, “The team’s communication is on point, and we have never had concerns of not having enough information on the days people attend,” and “Care plans and updates are always shared, this is also reviewed and discussed throughout the year when needs change.”

People were supported to maintain important relationships and take part in meaningful activities that enhanced their wellbeing and quality of life enabling them to be part of the local community. Regular access to the local community promoted independence, social inclusion and reduced the risk of isolation. When we visited, the people told us about the many activities they had experienced. They shared these experiences with enthusiasm, acknowledge the staff’s role in supporting them to achieve these outcomes whether that was going bowling, going on a cruise, or going for a walk to the nearby park and shops.

The service had a partnership with a local school that provided school leavers with opportunities to experience working in a care setting. The service coordinator explained this helped promote careers in social care and supported future recruitment.

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.

Managers across the provider's services met regularly to share learning and good practice, enabling services to take proactive steps to improve safety and quality. The registered manager and the service coordinator demonstrated how learning from other services had informed safety improvements within the home, helping to strengthen care delivery and promote positive outcomes for people.

The service coordinator used information from audits, alongside feedback from people, relatives, and staff, to identify areas for improvement and drive positive changes within the service. This helped ensure care and support remained responsive to people’s needs and preferences. For example, audits had identified an increase in medicines errors 12 months previously. In response, the service introduced an electronic medicines administration recording system and changed medicines ordering from monthly to weekly. This enabled staff to monitor stock levels more effectively and account for medicines daily. As a result, medicines errors reduced, improving the safety of people’s care.

During the period of particularly hot weather, the service coordinator proactively sought and followed guidance on the safe storage of medicines and managing the risks associated with hot temperatures. Risk assessments were completed for people and the staff to address the potential impact of hot weather, including the risks of dehydration and overheating. Measures implemented included increased monitoring and recording of people's fluid intake, regular temperature checks throughout the home, and restricting access to the conservatory when temperatures became too high. These actions helped keep people safe and demonstrated the service's ability to respond quickly and effectively to changing circumstances and environmental risks.