Heathcote

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 good. At this assessment, the rating has remained 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 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 an inclusivity about this service which helped ensure the care was seamless and people experienced consistently good care daily. The registered manager was a dedicated individual with a clearly strong management team around them. They emphasised the importance of teamwork and every staff member supporting each other no matter what their role was. All staff had equal value. We reviewed staff nominations and the registered manager had been nominated many times with comments like, "They won't expect you to do anything they wouldn't do. ”I feel so well supported.” “They treat staff fairly. ”They go out of their way to support staff and residents. They even take residents for their appointments.” and “The manager often works outside their hours and joins in activities and works Christmas day.”

Family members were recognised for the significant role they played in people’s lives, and all felt well informed about their loved one’s care. The provider’s quality assurance systems were robust and meant there was good oversight in ensuring people’s safety and comfort.

People using the service told us consistently that staff went the extra mile and no one had any concerns about the quality of care they received. People told us how staff responded to their needs and supported them with innovative ideas: For example, supporting people to access reading materials and supporting people to get on line to stay connected. Some people had struggled to use the internet now some people were doing their shopping online.

We observed a positive culture where staff brought their best selves to work and remained cheerful and positive. We observed kind, caring practice and people told us all staff displayed the right values.

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 service had very few incidents or concerns because we believe that staff stability and knowledge of people’s needs meant staff were proactive in recognising when people needed more support and engaged with other services in a timely way. There was also good management oversight, so any incident was appropriately responded too. For example, a person had one fall and staff noticed a shift in their mobility and automatically referred them for a physiotherapist assessment to review their walking aid and mobility.

Staff worked together and supported each other in providing the best care they could which was consistent and predictable. Staff promoted safety but enabled people to live as independently as they could by prompting people to wear their hearing aid or use a pendent or whatever aid would help to reduce risk. An example of this was people pouring and carrying their own drinks and having personalised meal plans, i.e. some with gravy, some with sauce and different options accommodated.

Staff training and supervision was up to date which included observation of practice and a constant recognition of good staff practice. Staff were aware of what constituted poor practice and used case studies to learn from incidents of poor CQC ratings so were aware of how services were judged against essential standards and legislation.

The key worker system and staff champions made a significant difference in driving up quality and putting people at the centre of their care. People told us their key-worker ensured during their weekly meetings with people that their needs and expectations of the service were being fulfilled and any care objectives agreed were being met.

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

Staff told us they felt confident to speak up and could give examples of what constituted poor practice. Staff had a good understanding of the whistle-blowing policy and safeguarding policy and other agencies they could contact if needed. We spoke with nine families who all felt well informed, had no concerns, and said they were contacted as and when necessary. Everyone spoken with were confident things were addressed promptly, and changes were embedded in the service. The regional manager was supportive and present, and staff felt comfortable throughout the inspection and felt free to talk to us.

A relative told us, “Regarding customer comments, when we check in on the[computer], there is a symbol to add our feedback. "Another said, "The management team are very approachable.”

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 were supported by an inclusive team. Staff were encouraged to contribute their ideas and feedback. Good practice was called out and rewarded. Staff retention was excellent and staff told us they felt valued by their employer. Training opportunities and career enhancement was encouraged to help retain and improve staff’s learning and progression opportunities.

Flexible workloads and good support from human resources helped staff to stay well and access the support they needed.

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.

The manager had a lot of experience and used this to support staff to grow in their knowledge and confidence. Staff worked autonomously using their initiative and the manager trusted their staff. Quality assurance systems helped to ensure that the service was delivered safely, and audits identified areas for improvement and priority. There were layers of management sign off to ensure actions taken at all levels of the organisation remained appropriate.

A relative told us, "Absolutely, the management team are visible. I think the atmosphere is very homely. Ten out of ten stars. "Another said, “My relative is always positive about the service, and they are quite happy. We do not have any worries. It is a good place, so friendly.”

The manager and their team had created a comfortable environment where people using the service and staff thrived and enjoyed being there and saying they would recommend it to family and friends. People experienced care that felt consistent and reassuring, with staff showing strong knowledge of individual needs and preferences.

Records reviewed demonstrated robust safety and governance systems.

The service demonstrated a strong person-centred culture, with people experiencing care that was reassuring, engaging, and supportive of their well-being. Systems were in place to support safety and governance, with some low-level areas for improvement around environmental consistency, audit follow-through, and clarity in emergency planning.

Staff feedback was positive overall, with staff reporting confidence in their roles and describing a person-led approach to activities, where sessions were trialled and adapted based on resident feedback.

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.

Staff worked inclusively with other agencies and shared information on a need-to-know basis with consent and involvement of people using the service. Staff offered discreet support and were mindful of people’s privacy and dignity.

Care records showed the service worked closely with external health and social care agencies. The.The service had weekly visits from the GP and staff were well prepared for these visits and consulted with people about whether they wished to have a visit.

The home was centrally situated, and facilities were accessible independently or with staff support. Visiting groups, entertainers and church services helped people access areas matching their interests and keeping in touch with their communities.

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.

A clear commitment for staff support and development helped to ensure the provider had a professional workforce who were able to respond to changes in regulatory practice and demands in adult social care. Feedback we received from relatives and staff was that Heathcote consistently delivered high standards of care day in day out and this was the norm. This meant people could rely on a safe service which fufilled their needs.

Provider audits were comprehensively designed to be evidence-based tools rather than “tick-box” exercises. They were structured to capture both compliance and qualitative observations, supported by ongoing monitoring systems that triangulate information from daily records, care documentation, staff feedback, and environmental checks. This ensured risks were not only identified but actively managed and reviewed.

The service collated feedback from people and involved them in their care and support. The service had a schedule of audits to ensure the staff were delivering high standard of care. The registered manager was very hands on and accessible. They completed daily walk around's, and night audits. Dining room audits and other audits helped to ensure people received a safe, well-planned service and were based on people's lived experiences.

Maintenance systems identified all risks which were monitored through internal systems such as maintenance logs and action trackers. This reflected a dynamic and responsive risk management culture rather than over-reliance on duplicative recording. Evidence of actions taken was available across these systems.

Regular night audits helped to ensure care across the home was consistently delivered day and night and audits prioritised observation, safety, and responsiveness to people’s needs. Evidence reviewed during these audits was available within the wider governance systems, including care records, incident logs, and handover documentation.

Overall, we found the auditing systems were effective, person-centred, and embedded within a culture of continuous oversight and improvement. They provided clear assurance that risks were identified, monitored, and acted upon in a timely and appropriate way. The service remained committed to strengthening documentation and improving practice across the board sharing learning across their homes and taking peoples experiences really seriously to ensure care delivery met the outstanding threshold.

Clear frameworks, training, and oversight processes were in place to ensure consistency in auditing. Quality assurance processes, including management oversight and regular review of audits, ensure that any gaps are promptly identified and addressed.