Burlington Nursing Home

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 requires improvement. The provider was in breach of legal regulation in relation to good governance. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation. 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 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.

The service had a positive culture that was open and friendly. Throughout the inspection, the registered manager demonstrated a good knowledge of the people living at Burlington Nursing Home. It was evident they wanted to provide a good quality and person-centred service. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager. Comments included, “Since the takeover it’s been better, I feel good now. I can talk to the manager. She’s very approachable,” and “Since the new registered manager started, it’s improved. Residents seem happier. The registered manager walks around, talks to people, chats to them.”

Staff were approachable and keen to talk about their work. They demonstrated commitment and were proud to work at the service. Staff told us they felt happy and supported working at the service. A staff member told us, “I learn as I go working with [registered manager], it’s energising working with [them].”

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 promoted an inclusive culture at the service. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager. Staff told us they were able to make suggestions, and they felt listened to. There were regular staff meetings in place to support and guide staff. Staff told us, “The registered manager directs us to useful websites. [They] don’t judge you if you ask for more help or training. [They] try to support you with what you need.”

The registered manager was knowledgeable about their responsibilities regarding the Health and Social Care Act 2014. They were aware of the types of significant events which they were required to notify CQC about.

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

Processes were in place to allow staff the opportunity to speak up if they felt it was needed. There was a whistleblowing policy in place which staff were aware of. Staff told us they felt confident speaking up. They had confidence the registered manager would deal with any concerns raised. Staff told us, “I understand safeguarding, if I see poor behaviour I would inform the manager, if [they] didn’t take it seriously I would I inform Care Quality Commission.” Staff were proud of the service and the care they provided.

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 they enjoyed working at Burlington Nursing Home and would recommend it as a place to work. There was a strong ethos at the service of treating people as individuals, this extended to the workforce as well. Staff received training in equality and diversity. Staff said, “You have your moment with the registered manager. [They] tell me to believe in myself. I enjoy my job. I didn’t think I would when I started. I love interacting with people, I love finding out their stories. I’ve learnt, not just from the training, but from the people here. Every day is different, but they are all good.” Another staff member said, “When I am in a low mood it’s nice to come here, it cheers me up.”

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.

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. The service was led by a motivated registered manager. A staff member told us, “There is a homely feel here, despite the building work… It’s an exciting time as the owner is throwing money at the place.”

The registered manager was committed to providing a service that was person-centred and put people firmly at the centre of all they did. We saw people and staff approaching the registered manager and vice versa. It was apparent that people felt relaxed in their company and that they were used to spending time with them. The registered manager knew people and their needs well. Staff told us, “It’s a nice environment. I have a good relationship with the registered manager. Management are helpful. We work well as a team.”

The registered manager had good oversight of the service. They undertook a number of regular audits to ensure good quality of care. They understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, record safety incidents, concerns and near misses, and report these internally and externally as necessary. We saw a report from a satisfaction survey carried out with people and their relatives. This indicated that people and their relatives were happy with the care and support they were receiving.

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 told us they worked in partnership with other organisations. This included a variety of health and social care professionals.

Staff worked together to enable learning. They participated in external training courses to further develop their knowledge. They worked with external professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dentists, opticians, community matrons, GPs and pharmacists.

Staff told us they liked working at Burlington Nursing Home. They said, “Morale is good. We are well staffed. There is cover if anyone is off sick, staff help each other out. There is no arguing or unpleasant gossip.”

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.

There were systems in place to aid staff with learning. These included regular training sessions for staff, meetings and staff supervisions. There were regular carer meetings focussed on learning. Previous meetings had included a discussion of practical things such as falls. The current focus for these meetings is foot care and oral care.

The registered manager had clear oversight of accidents and incidents. They discussed learning from accidents, incidents and complaints with staff. They regularly undertook audits of these to ensure any trends or patterns were identified and addressed. People and their relatives had opportunities to feedback their views about the service and quality of the care they received. There was a service improvement plan which was regularly reviewed and updated.