Wisteria House (Woolwell) Dementia Care Ltd

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. This is the first inspection for this service. This key question has been rated 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. There was a strong culture of compassion and equality through relationship care. Staff understood the aims of the service and demonstrated compassion and empathy for the people who lived in the service, whilst respecting them as equals. Staff shared meals with people, enjoyed activities together and shared important moments as a community. Staff were supported to progress through the organisation and managers role modelled the organisational values. One staff member told us, “I am a proud believer in quality of life and the importance it plays with the residents living with dementia.” Another staff member said, “Managers have an open-door policy and are friendly. They all listen and are there for you. It’s really nice that they come out and help on the floor and they are not asking us to do anything they would not be willing to do themselves.”

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. Managers worked alongside staff and role modelled best practice. Staff told us managers were always available, and consistently supportive. One staff member told us, “The managers are really lovely and supportive.” Another staff member said, “The managers all manage the service very well, they are all brilliant.” A third staff member said, “The managers all manage the service very well - they are all brilliant.” A relative said, “I would say that staff and managers have been excellent.”

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

People, families and staff were encouraged to speak up and the provider fostered a no blame culture. A staff member told us, “I feel comfortable to approach management and know any concerns will be dealt with.” One person’s relative said, “They are very approachable and if there’s any issues, they will help me.”

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who work for them.

The leadership team promoted a welcoming, inclusive and non-judgemental ethos. Adjustments were made to support staff where they had family members requiring additional support, or required specific days off, for example for religious observation.

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

Each manager had clear responsibilities within the compliance system, and the provider had regular input and oversight. This meant issues were identified quickly, and managers had time to analyse performance and act where required.

The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people. They share information and learning with partners and collaborate for improvement.

Staff worked in partnership with people’s families and provided opportunities for community involvement with local schools and organisations. The provider sought opportunities to collaborate with other health and social care professionals when they were available locally.

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 contribute to safe, effective practice and research.

The provider had completed a variety of learning modules in dementia care and implemented the learning throughout the service both in practice and design. The staff team used both recognised and bespoke observations to assess people’s experience of care, which they then used to plan care in a person-centred way. The provider sought new ways of innovating and invested in technology to support people in creative ways.