Woodside View

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 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 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 and their relatives told us there was a positive culture at the service. One relative told us, ”They are always available to speak to me. Even when [registered manager] is busy she will make a point to find me before I leave the premises. She’s very good with communication.” Another relative commented, “Management are good from what I’ve seen. They’re very accessible and always easy to talk to.”

Staff understood the vision for the service and the importance of transparency. They told us there was a positive culture, and they felt included in the running of the service. One member of staff told us, “I’m proud to work here. It feels like a positive place, and I think the residents notice that too.” Another member of staff commented, “I can ask for anything I need, and [provider] will agree to it.”

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.

People and their relatives told us the service was managed by capable, transparent and compassionate leaders. One relative told us, “I can email, text or call the management team and they will also communicate with me with any changes too.” Another relative said, “[Registered manager] oversees everything so well and is heavily involved.”

Staff told us the service was managed by leaders who had the skills and experience to lead them effectively. A member of staff told us, “[Registered manager] is very supportive, and I get on with her really well.” A member of the management team told us, “We work closely with families and other professionals to make sure care is as good as it can be.”

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

People, their relatives and staff told us they felt able to speak up if they had a concern. A relative told us, “I know who she is. I would have no worries about raising any concerns with her.” A member of staff told us, “I feel able to raise any concerns, and I know they’ll be taken seriously. Another member of staff commented, “I would definitely speak up. I would speak to [registered manager]. She is a very good listener.” The registered manager told us they aimed to be easily approachable and that this was the culture they had fostered within the service. Feedback we received confirmed this.

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.

Records showed that staff had completed equality and diversity training and they understood their responsibilities. Staff told us there was an inclusive culture at the service and that they felt valued by the registered manager and provider. One member of staff told us, “[Registered manager] always helps. She is so hands on. She gets down to our level and will muck in. We all help each other.”

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and generally good governance across the service. 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 undertook various audits, such as in relation to medicines management, health and safety and for care records, and where there were areas of improvement, they addressed these. During the course of the assessment, the registered manager updated their audits to include the areas we highlighted in other sections of this report. We found the registered manager was motivated to make the improvements we identified throughout our assessment.

Staff told us there was a governance structure in place and they knew who to approach if they were unsure on how best to support people or any other aspects of their role. Feedback from staff members included: “We will ask [management team] because we don’t want to do it wrong. They are good and they support us”, “If we have any problems, we can share with our manager. Anything [in relation to our role] we can call [the registered manager]”, and, “Our manager is very friendly. If we have questions or doubts, we can ask them.”

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.

Partners told us the service worked well with them and took feedback on board. Staff effectively shared information with partners in healthcare and the local community. The provider understood the importance of working collaboratively and we saw from care records that external partners had been involved in people’s care and staff communicated with them effectively. One partner told us, “I always feel welcomed when I come into the home, and communication with the staff is clear and professional.”

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.

There was a culture of learning and improvement at the service. Staff regularly discussed how to improve the service, they communicated these changes with each other and there were regular team meetings. One member of staff told us, “Communication is very important, so we all work together. We do the teamwork and we communicate well.” Another member of staff commented, “Last week we did a staff meeting. We spoke about how many staff we need. [Management] listen.” Where we highlighted areas of improvement during this assessment, the registered manager was motivated to improve the service and provided us with evidence that the areas had been addressed.