Archived: Beech Tree 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 good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement. This meant the service was not always consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created did not always promoted high-quality, person-centred care.The service was in breach of legal regulation in relation to good governance.

This service scored 61 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

There was not always evidence of a clear shared vision, strategy and culture which was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, and engagement. Staff told us the culture in the home had improved since the current management team had been in place. However, a staff member told us, “There seems to be a culture of providing for service users’ hygiene and nutrition needs but not interacting with them outside of those times. Some staff seem to put more of their attention to doing the laundry and the upkeep of the flats rather than spending time with the service users.” We received mixed feedback from relatives regarding the service, although people and relatives
were mainly positive about the current management team.

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 provider had a manager and deputy manager in post and there was a recruitment drive to employ more senior support workers. The provider had instigated a refurbishment plan and a general action plan for the management team and staff to work towards achieving. The provider had a representative who visited the home to complete an audit on behalf of the provider and to work with the management team to improve the service.One external professional said, “I have always found them [the current management team] to be professional, welcoming and transparent. As part of discussions, they were able to acknowledge other people's views and adapt accordingly.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistle blowing policy and staff felt comfortable raising concerns. One staff member said, “I feel as though I can make suggestions and raise any concerns I have to either management or colleagues. I also feel I am listened to and given advice or feedback. We can be very open with each other as staff members when it comes to the workplace and any concerns we have. All feedback I am given is taken on board and executed through my job daily I believe, such as if there is a change in a service user’s routine due to a concern. I believe I am confident with making these changes and sharing the outcome with my colleagues.”

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 current management team were taking action to ensure staff were treated well and equally. The management team told us they listened to staff and operated flexible working arrangements wherever they could. Systems were in place to support staff out of office hours and at weekends. Members of the management team were on call to support staff if required.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate. The management team were newly appointed and had started to improve and adapt management systems and processes to monitor the quality of the service and to make positive changes. During our assessment we identified some concerns which had either not previously been identified or, had been noted but timely action not taken. Therefore, governance systems and processes required further development and embedding into practice.

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. One external professional said, “I believe when I was communicating with the home, they were more than happy to discuss issues that had been raised and were proactive in clarifying information, if they were not aware of something they would find out and share this information. We discussed support plans, and we agreed that there were some details on the support plans that needed changing and they were able to recognise that change was needed. Following this they amended and sent me copies of the changes.”

The current management team were beginning to focus 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. One external professional said, “Staff are keen to look any issues highlighted to ensure that there was learning outcomes for them to use in the future.”