Kenilworth Manor

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 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.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at Kenilworth Manor because of the friendly and supportive environment promoted by both managers and the wider staff team. They described a culture of enabling people to enjoy their lives and do as much as possible. Comments included: “We all get on well because we are close knit", "I take pride in doing my job and the team is strong here and they look after each other. They care about each other, and they care about the residents. To get a smile is all worth it” and “It is welcoming, inviting, I love the job. This is one of the best nursing homes I have walked into." High levels of staff retention demonstrated a shared commitment to the home.

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 registered manager had worked at the home for over 10 years and people told us they knew her well. One relative told us, “She [registered manager] is present in the home. She comes into mum’s room to chat if she hasn’t gone downstairs. She likes to know what is going on.”

Staff spoke warmly of the registered manager who they said was available when they needed them. One staff member told us, “I like the friendly environment and the manager especially.” Another staff member described the registered manager as, "Very good. She is firm but fair and very caring."

The registered manager was supported to run the home by operations managers, compliance leads and an estate team.

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

Staff described an environment where they were encouraged to speak up, and their views would be listened to. One staff member told us, “If I have a query I go directly to the manager, and she will sort it out.” Staff told us the provider’s representatives regularly visited the home and sought their feedback. One staff member told us, “The owners do come in from head office, and they pull us in for chats so we can express how we feel.”

The provider used an electronic signing in and out system. The system encouraged staff and visitors to leave feedback or any concerns as they left, and we saw the provider monitored this and responded promptly. The provider had a whistleblowing policy and staff said they would feel confident to escalate concerns in accordance with the policy.

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 spoke of phased returns after long periods of absence from work and flexibility in working hours to accommodate caring responsibilities outside the home. One staff member told us, “[Registered manager] gives us flexibility in our work."

Staff told us discrimination was not tolerated, and any concerns were immediately addressed by the registered manager.

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.

The provider had implemented 1 master audit to be completed by the registered manager monthly. This audit gave complete oversight of the service and consisted of 373 questions covering topics such as the environment, care plans, catering, medication, infection control, health and safety, nursing interventions and staffing. The provider’s representative told us they were working to streamline and improve the governance processes across all services.

We saw historically, audits had been used as an opportunity to promote good governance by the registered manager and highlighted areas for improvement or development within the home. However, at the time of our inspection, the registered manager had recently returned from an unexpected absence. In the registered manager’s absence, the provider had not ensured the audit had been completed for the previous 2 months. This meant the provider could not be assured the home was running as expected. Despite this, we saw evidence senior staff within the home had followed internal processes to ensure people continued to receive safe care and treatment.

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 healthcare professional described how they were welcomed into the home and supported by staff and told us, “I have a very good relationship with the care home manager and the staff that work there. The care home is very accommodating.”

Staff had opened the home for regular community events, including seasonal fairs, dog shows and a garden party. People were also encouraged to raise funds for other charitable organisations and were currently collecting for the local foodbank. This promoted good relationships with the local community and increased people’s opportunities for interesting things to do.

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.

The provider was involved in developing and evaluating innovation initiatives. For example, they were involved in a project to use electronic monitoring systems to improve continence care and effective repositioning for people at risk of skin damage. The system had been introduced for a trial period and after evaluation was being introduced into the home.

The provider told us that new ideas or innovations were often trialled in one home at a time, and if they were successful, then learning was embedded, before being shared across the organisation.