Aniska Lodge

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

The service had a positive culture that was open and friendly. Feedback from staff included, ‘The service has a positive, open culture that encourages teamwork. Aniska is like a family, which have created supportive environment that benefits staff and those we are care for.’

Throughout the inspection, the registered manager demonstrated a good knowledge of the people living at Aniska. It was evident they wanted to provide a good quality and person-centred service. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager. Feedback from staff included, ‘I am very happy working at Aniska Lodge. The management team is highly supportive and always approachable.’

Staff were approachable and keen to talk about their work. Feedback from staff included, ‘Staff work well together, and there is always a positive atmosphere. I feel valued in my role as a Team Leader and supported to provide best care for our residents.’ Staff demonstrated commitment and were proud to work at the service. Feedback from visiting healthcare professionals included, ‘Each staff know their role and responsibilities and teamwork is exceptionally evident.’

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 promoted an inclusive culture at the service. Staff spoke highly of the registered manager. Staff told us they were able to make suggestions, and they felt listened to. Feedback from staff included, ‘The management team supports me in my work and listens to my ideas.’

The registered manager was knowledgeable about their responsibilities regarding the Health and Social Care Act 2014. They were aware of the types of significant events which they were required to notify CQC about.

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

Processes were in place to allow staff the opportunity to speak up if they felt it was needed. There was a whistleblowing policy in place which staff were aware of. Staff told us they felt confident speaking up. They had confidence the registered manager would deal with any concerns raised. Staff were proud of the service and the care they provided. Feedback from staff included, ‘I am a very shy person, so it took me a little while to settle. With time Aniska Lodge feels like my second home, we are like a big family.And like all family sometimes we have difference of opinions but nothing that cannot be resolve with an open mind and understanding of one another.’

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them.

Staff said they enjoyed working at Aniska and would recommend it as a place to work. There was a strong ethos at the service of treating people as individuals, this extended to the workforce as well. Staff received training in equality and diversity.

Staff spoke highly of the support they received from the management. Staff gave us specific examples regarding the support, respect and understanding they had received. Feedback from staff included, ‘I really enjoy my job and find it very rewarding. The team here is caring and works well together to support the residents.’ ‘It’s truly a lovely place to work, and I honestly love my job as a carer. The manager is wonderful, very supportive with the staff and genuinely caring with the residents. The whole team works well together, and the residents are always well looked after in a warm and friendly atmosphere.’ ‘The management team were always incredibly supportive of me.’ And,‘The training and knowledge provided has equipped me to work to the bestof my abilities and to come out of my shell as a person as well.The challenges that come with the job have pushed me out ofmy comfort zone, but I have always felt safe and supported by my colleagues and managers to overcome these challenges.’

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.

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. The service was led by a motivated registered manager. The registered manager was committed to providing a service that was person-centred and put people firmly at the centre of all they did. Feedback from staff included, ‘Overall, I feel Aniska Lodge is a friendly and welcoming place to work, and we always try our best to make sure the residents are well looked after and respected.’

The registered manager had good oversight of the service. They undertook a number of regular audits to ensure good quality of care. They understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, record safety incidents, concerns and near misses, and report these internally and externally as necessary. We saw a report from a satisfaction survey carried out with people and their relatives. This indicated that people and their relatives were happy with the care and support they were receiving.

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.

The registered manager told us they worked in partnership with other organisations. This included a variety of health and social care professionals. All feedback received from visiting healthcare professionals was positive. A visiting healthcare professional provided feedback regarding a complex case, they told us, ‘Care planning was discussed with the relative and worries the relative had were alleviated, this I believe was as a result of the good relationship Aniska staff had with the relative.’

Staff worked together to enable learning. They participated in external training courses to further develop their knowledge. They worked with external professionals including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, dentists, opticians, community matrons, GPs and pharmacists.

Staff told us they liked working at Aniska, they spoke of high morale and good teamwork.

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 registered manager had clear oversight of accidents and incidents. They discussed learning from accidents, incidents and complaints with staff. They regularly undertook audits of these to ensure any trends or patterns were identified and addressed. Feedback from visiting healthcare professionals included, ‘I am aware of transparency and how the staff learn from situations.’ And, ‘I find the service leadership very receptive to recommendations when points for improvement are essential for example in any of the governance aspect and ensure they address these.’

There were systems in place to aid staff with learning. These included regular training sessions for staff, meetings and staff supervisions. People and their relatives had opportunities to feedback their views about the service and quality of the care they received. There was a service improvement plan which was regularly reviewed and updated.