Giles Shirley Hall

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 requires improvement. 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 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.

Feedback from families and staff members indicated the service had a positive and open culture. Managers were visible, understood their responsibilities, and were actively involved in supporting people and promoting a culture of openness.

The registered manager told us they received good support from senior managers, the provider, and managers across other services. The provider also held annual staff and people awards to recognise and celebrate achievements across the organisation.

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.

Feedback received from people, staff and their families about the management team was positive. One staff member told us, “Managers are approachable always there if you need help or something sorted.”

At the time of the assessment, the service was going through a period of transition as there was a change of registered manager. The provider managed this transition effectively by putting a comprehensive 2 week handover in place for the management team. This supported people to adjust to the changes and ensured minimal disruption to the service.

Managers told us senior leaders visited the service regularly, were supportive, and were familiar with the people who lived at the service and their individual needs.

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

Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns with the management team and provider and felt their views were taken seriously. One staff member told us, “We are always welcomed to give feedback and suggestions.” People and staff were given regular opportunities to speak up, including through planned supervision sessions and team meetings.

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.

Policies were in place to support equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff felt they were treated fairly and reported no concerns in relation to discrimination or inequality.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and governance systems in place. However, governance processes had not always identified some of the concerns we found, for example, in relation to medicines management and documentation of mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions. Managers were responsive to this feedback and took action to address these issues.

Systems were in place to ensure senior managers had effective oversight of the service, and regular provider visits were completed. Action plans were developed and remained ongoing within the service to address identified shortfalls and monitor improvements following completed audits.

The service operated in line with the Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture model. Care and support were designed to promote choice and independence, was person centred, and reflected a positive culture throughout 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.

Care records and feedback from professionals demonstrated effective joint working with other agencies to ensure people received coordinated care and support.

Comments from professionals included, “I have always found the staff to be very knowledgeable about these residents, ensuring that they access good health and mental health care,” and, “I have found the manager and the team to be engaged, responsive, and open to all guidance provided.”

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 received supervision and had opportunities to share their views through regular team meetings. Staff told us they felt included in the development of the service, that their ideas were listened to, and they were encouraged to contribute. One staff member told us, “Ideas are shared between the team, there is an open-door policy. Everybody’s ideas are welcome. We feel very included. As staff, we do often reflect on the best way to approach situations and then those ideas tend to be aligned. It makes us feel empowered, not in fear of making a wrong decision.”

The provider shared learning from accidents and incidents to improve the quality of care. Ongoing action plans were in place to support continuous improvement.