The Glen 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 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 stayed the same. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 89 (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.

The management team and staff demonstrated a genuine commitment to person-centred care and improving outcomes for people. The vison and values were clearly embedded and shared across the whole team. In addition, the provider had started a piece of work involving staff across all roles to further develop the service’s mission and values. This involved asking staff to complete a questionnaire about their own views and aspirations about how to further enhance the team culture and experiences of people living at The Glen. Throughout our visits we saw a visibly strong culture and all staff demonstrated pride and commitment to high quality teamwork and person led care. The values of the home were lived in everyday practice. There were open channels of communication to encourage transparency. This promoted a collective sense of purpose. Staff embraced the vision and values. Comments included, “Coming to work is like coming home. I love coming to work. I am proud to work here.”

Throughout our visits we observed the shared culture was upheld across the service.

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.

The registered manager had the skills, integrity and commitment to support the service. There was a focus on genuine, positive outcomes for people, the development of staff and the quality of the service. Leaders modelled a committed and open approach. The provider and the management team were approachable and visible and ensured they were available for people, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. The provider and the registered manager knew people well and we observed familiar and genuinely warm interactions with people when they were in communal areas. We received very positive feedback about the registered manager and management team from staff and relatives. Comments included, “The management will go above and beyond to give time to help with something” and “Management – they are amazing, always felt 100% supported.”

The provider attended regular handover meetings with staff and discussed key topics, including safeguarding and service improvement. The management team liaised very closely with relatives and were personally involved in review meetings. There were open and mutually trusting relationships between the management and staff team.

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

The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place, which included clear guidance to support staff to ‘speak up’. Staff understood the processes to follow, should they have any concerns. Staff expressed their confidence in being able to raise concerns. Leaders ensured people knew and were able to exercise their rights.

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 provider employed a diverse staff team. Human resource policies were in place to ensure staff understood their rights as an employee. The provider valued diversity in their workforce and worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. All staff completed training in equality and diversity.

The recruitment process was fair and inclusive, with health questionnaires completed to ensure the provider was aware of any reasonable adjustments required to support staff.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and improving governance arrangements. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support.

A range of quality assurance systems were in place to monitor and improve the service. These had been effective in identifying areas for development. When issues were identified, audits were strengthened and increased in frequency to enable prompt action, and improvements were implemented accordingly. The provider collated information from audits into an accessible dashboard which highlighted key areas of focus. They also carried out their own regular provider led audits, which included observations of staff practice and a genuine focus on time spent with people to observe and understand their experiences of care.

The provider had policies in place which were accessible and regularly reviewed.

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.

The management team and staff collaborated exceptionally well with external professionals, and the provider had taken appropriate and well‑considered steps to improve outcomes for people by working closely with partner agencies. They also worked closely with local authorities who commissioned care. The provider was extremely open and proactive in their approach.

We also saw evidence of strong community links. The provider had good links with local, schools, clubs and universities. They also supported local charities through a range of initiatives. People were able to access the local community, including a wellbeing social club in the nearby village. This meant people had a wider range of opportunities to enrich their lives. The registered manager was part of the local care forum and welcomed this as an opportunity for learning and information sharing. Feedback from allied professionals was overwhelmingly positive. Comments included, “The care setting goes above and beyond to meet the needs of residents often devising and delivering care arrangements that are nuanced and tailored to that specific individual” and “They are always very responsive. We have got a good relationship, and they always take on advice.”

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.

There was very strong culture of learning and improvement. Staff in all roles expressed a pride in working for the service and in the care and support they provided and demonstrated their drive for continuous improvement. This culture was driven by the enthusiasm and commitment of the management team who demonstrated their understanding of quality performance and regulatory requirements. The provider had recently commissioned an extensive external audit, and all suggested actions had been completed promptly. Where we fedback areas for improvement the provider welcomed this and took immediate action to ensure changes were made. The service had been extremely proactive in developing robust and person-led ReSPECT paperwork and plans were in place to share this learning with other providers. The initiative to involve all staff in co-producing the service’ vision and values had further developed the culture and sense of collective teamwork. The registered manager and chef had plans in place to work with health professionals to develop their own on site nutritionally enhanced supplements to support people who may be losing weight and reduce the need for prescribed supplements.