Westwood

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 79 (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.

People commented positively on the culture of the home. A person said, “I like living here, the people are nice.” Another person said, “It's nice having company and it's secure, friendly, staff are good.” A relative said, “They enquire about my health too. They are interested in me, I like that.”

Leaders set a clear vision and positive culture. A mission statement, vision and values were in place. Managers were clear on the standards they expected, and team meeting minutes showed they set out where standards needed to improve and how they expected staff to act which included challenging poor practice where they saw it.

Staff were clear on what was expected of them and told us they would raise any concerns with management if required. A staff member commented, ‘The service is well managed with regular team meetings, supervision and open communication. Staff are encouraged to share ideas through meetings, one-to-one supervision and speaking directly with managers. The team works well together and everyone is focused on providing safe, person-centred care.’ Another staff member commented, ‘Staff give regular feedback in each handover, if staff members feel as though another staff member is not doing something right this will be voiced in handover where management will be and situations will get sorted out.’

A professional commented, ‘A pleasant residential home where I am welcomed when I visit and treated as part of the multi-disciplinary team.’

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.

Leaders were compassionate and inclusive. Leaders monitored the service and took action to continually improve the service with a focus on responding to feedback from people who used the service and staff. Team meetings showed clear communication between management and staff.

People consistently praised the manager. A person commented, “[The registered manager] is kind. She does everything she is supposed to do and goes out of her way.” Another person commented, ‘[The registered manager] is a lovely person.’ A relative said, “It’s very well run.” The nominated individual commented, ‘[The registered manager] has completed her Level 5, worked on reducing vacancies in the home, provided structure for the staff team and brought a sense of calm to the environment fully embedding herself in.’ The registered manager told us they felt fully supported by the provider with regular supervisions and weekly catch ups.

The registered manager provided highly personalised mentoring to a staff member, adapting their approach to build confidence and maximise learning. Through consistent coaching, visibility and approachable leadership, the staff member grew in confidence and capability, enabling them to take on greater responsibility and make a stronger contribution to the service.

A staff member commented, ‘My manager and leaders are always approachable and available when I need guidance or support. I know if I ever need help, advice or support, [the registered manager] is always available and very helpful, she plays a big part in my progress here at Westwood and I am very grateful for that, the support I have received from her is amazing! I feel supported through access to training, resources, and opportunities to develop my skills. Overall, I feel like they help create a positive working environment that enables me to do my job effectively.’

Another staff member commented, ‘My induction took place with [the registered manager]. She trained me as I started off as a support worker then into a senior support and recently the care coordinator. [The registered manager] has trained me in all areas and continues to train me as there is always something to learn. She guides me and whenever I require assistance, she is always helpful. As I have worked my way up, I have always had the best support from [the registered manager] and also the directors allow me to grow as well. This helps for future career plans as well. They have given me the opportunity to study my level 3 in health and social care, helped me grow my confidence in and outside of work.’

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

People felt able to speak up and raise concerns. Staff were confident raising issues with management and felt they would be acted upon. Freedom to speak up and whistleblowing polices were in place.

A staff member commented, ‘Westwood provide a range of flexible ways to raise your concern from the handling over periods, to sending mail or even stating it in the Nourish device.’ A staff member commented, ‘Personally, I feel supported to speak up. Having approachable managers and clear whistleblowing procedures makes it easier for staff to raise concerns confidently.’ A staff member commented, ‘I am confident enough to raise a concern and don’t feel restricted in any way not to. I know when I do report something, that it will be dealt with accordingly and safely.’

Team meeting notes show evidence of staff being given opportunity to speak up and drive improvement. Staff members gave a number of examples of issues being raised and acted upon. A staff member commented, ‘There was a time when it was difficult for a single staff to handle a resident, this was told to the management and arrangement was made immediately for 2 or more staff to do that each time.’ Another staff member commented, ‘In terms of improvements, I have seen changes made following feedback and incidents. For instance, after concerns were raised about communication during shift handovers, the process was improved by making handovers more structured and detailed. I have also seen updates to care plans and risk assessments following incidents to reduce the likelihood of them happening again.’

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 workforce equality. Staff raised no concerns in this area.

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.

Governance and management systems were effective. Governance processes were in place, and an audit schedule was followed to monitor the service. This included detailed audits, team meetings and feedback from people who used the service and visitors. A range of trackers were used to ensure documentation was kept up to date. This included care plans, risk assessments, other care documentation including mental capacity assessments, training, supervisions, appraisals, medicines and blood monitoring. These processes led to clear improvements in the quality of care and the care environment.

The provider regularly visited the home and held open door sessions for people who used the service and staff. Staff were very positive that they were listened to. A staff member commented, ‘Staff have asked for new laptops which have been received. We also asked for a staff fridge, staff badges and a new medication system. This has all been listened to and followed through. We asked for the carpet to be removed in the main entrance and ground floor corridor along with garden lounge. This has also been done.’

The CQC rating was displayed, and notifications were made to the CQC as required. A registered manager was in place.

A range of policies were in place regarding information governance and the use of information. An emergency continuity plan was in place. The provider had achieved a ‘standards met’ rating for the Data Security and Protection Toolkit standards.

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.

Leaders worked in partnership with others for people’s benefit. Processes were in place to ensure suitable referrals to other community partners and agencies and had been appropriately followed by staff.

A staff member commented, ‘We all work closely with GPs, community mental health teams, nurses, social workers, pharmacists and hospitals to meet everyone’s needs. I know that if I notice a change in an individual’s mental or physical health such as increased or unusual behaviours or a decline in their mental wellbeing, I always log everything accurately on their record and report this to my team leader, as needed I contact their GP or the mental health team for advice and an assessment for the individual. For example, a resident was experiencing very high blood pressure which concerned me, I knew not to panic and called 111 for advice, I liaised with a health advisor and received advice which was helpful. All phone calls and concerns I logged on the resident’s timeline and put this as an alarm bell so other staff were able to see this and be informed of what happened on my shift. After this, their GP was contacted and their medications were reviewed, which resulted in a medication change, their medication care plan was then reviewed and updated.’

A professional commented, ‘Yes. I generally arrange face to face meetings with staff if I want to discuss or clarify anything, they are aware of the risk management plan and action that is required if concerned, staff at Westwood are aware this need to be a fast response due to significant risks. My client is well supported in managing her mental health while living there as well as her physical health management which has required prompt action in the past, they chase up any issues I raise with the appropriate services.’

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.

The registered manager had a strong focus on audit and improvement. Throughout the assessment we saw evidence of structured audits with clear findings and actions leading to improvement.

Feedback was encouraged from people who used the service, professionals and staff and action was taken to respond to this feedback leading to improvements in care and the home environment.