Cubbington Mill

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 very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities.

The provider’s core values of respect, integrity, passion, empowerment and responsibility were promoted and reflected in our conversations with managers and staff. The registered manager told us, “We all work together for our residents and that will always be our priority. We want people to have a good quality life in whatever way that means to them and to feel happy and safe." This aim was echoed by a member of staff who commented, “The management team and every member of staff is here to enrich the lives of our residents. That’s our aim every day.” Another member of staff told us, “Things are very open here. Everyone is made to feel important, the residents and all the staff. I feel very valued and get a real sense of satisfaction knowing we have worked hard each day even if it’s just to make a resident smile.” A third staff member described good support through teamwork and added, “I think we have a whole home approach, and the culture comes from that, supporting each other through all departments."

The management team carried out spot checks, competency reviews and individual supervisions with staff to ensure staff practice aligned with the culture of the service. Staff told us they found supervision meetings useful and very supportive of their practice. One staff member told us, “You can be open and honest here. If you are struggling, you won’t be judged you will be helped and when you do well you receive praise. This is a great approach.” Another staff member said, “I value supervision. It was in supervision that I was able to talk about my development and was supported to do my NVQ’s and progress. I feel very proud.”

Relatives expressed absolute satisfaction with the culture within the home and the consistently high standards of care. One relative told us, “It (the home) is small enough that she is not just a number in a large place, but big enough they have the support and guidance on the best way to do things.” Another relative said, “We are all very happy [Name] is there. It’s like a weight has been lifted. The atmosphere is happy and joyful. The activity team are great. I feel that she is happy and safe. I know they will call me if there are any concerns.”

Two staff had recently been nominated for an award for achieving high standards in their role at the provider’s annual care awards. Staff organised a live viewing of the awards ceremony in the home with a small celebration. The registered manager reflected on how people valued the efforts of staff being recognised and enjoyed being involved in the success of 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 and deputy manager were both registered nurses and maintained good oversight of the clinical and care practices in the home. Staff described both managers as being knowledgeable, supportive and available when they needed them. One staff member told us, “We’ve had a few managers but with our new manager things are much more structured. You know what you are expected to do. You can go to management at any time, and they will always help or sort out your worry. They make sure you know if one of them is not going to be available and tell you who you can contact.” Another staff member said, “Our manager and deputy manager in a word are amazing. Nothing is ever too much trouble. They are so supportive. They have encouraged me to grow and develop.”

Both the registered manager and deputy manager felt supported by the provider and told us they received training appropriate to their role. The registered manager understood their obligation under the duty of candour to be open and transparent with people and their relatives when things had gone wrong or accidents occurred.

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

Staff described an open and positive culture where they were encouraged and enabled to speak up. They told us their feedback was listened to and their opinions valued. One staff member said, “I don’t think there is any member of staff here who does not feel able to speak up. It’s the way things work here. Everybody has a voice and everybody is heard.” A second staff member commented, “The manager’s door is always open. It doesn’t matter if you are not happy about something or you want to share praise for a colleague. At Cubbington your voice is heard and you can speak out.”

Staff told us the support they received from the management team gave them confidence to own their practice and report any mistakes or errors. One staff member said, “You have to own up to what you have done, learn from your mistakes so it does not happen again. It is not a blame culture, when something goes wrong you are not given the blame, it is supporting you to make sure it does not happen again."

The provider had processes to support staff to speak up. This included supervision meetings, handovers, staff meetings and a whistleblowing policy. There were also ‘speak up champions’ who were staff who acted as a confidential, accessible point of contact for other staff to raise concerns. One staff member told us, “We have a speak up champion in the home and a suggestion box in reception so if something is not right, then you have got to bring it up."

Staff were encouraged to provide feedback through surveys about their experiences working at Cubbington Mill. Actions plans were developed from feedback to enhance staff working experiences.

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.

There was a diverse workforce at Cubbington Mill representing a variety of ages, ethnic backgrounds, cultures and languages. Diversity was recognised through celebrating different events and traditions in the cultural calendar. For example, the home had recently celebrated an important date in the Polish calendar by sharing traditional sweets. In reviewing the positive impact of the event the registered manager recorded, “Sharing a tradition creates an environment where cultural heritage is celebrated rather than sidelined, where colleagues learn from one another, and where diversity becomes a living part of the home’s community.”

One staff member described a fair culture and told us they would be confident to challenge discrimination. Another staff member told us, “My manager and Barchester have given me the platform to grow and thrive. Their belief in me has been special. I have completed my NVQ’s and my English exam.”

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 registered manager carried out a range of audits to check on the quality and safety of the service. This included checks of people’s medicines, infection control, care plans, health and safety and accidents and incidents. Where checks were delegated to others, staff were given allocated time on the rota to meet their responsibilities. Documentation relating to the governance of the service was maintained in good order and readily available on request. Checks and audits were used to ensure standards were maintained and legislative and regulatory requirements were met.

The provider operated a centralised electronic system to record and review key data and were able to identify any themes and trends developing. For example, through remotely checking daily records, the provider could identify areas that needed to be addressed and where systems were not reflective of the care being provided. The provider carried out regular visits to support the management team, check governance systems and assess the quality of care provision within the home.

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 provider worked in partnership with other health and social care professionals to enhance the care provided and ensure people benefited from a wide range of specialist expertise. A visiting healthcare professional told us, “Nursing staff know their patients well. All nursing and care staff appear to have a good rapport with all their residents, this care home feels calm and well run.” The provider had also worked with external organisations and agencies to support staff learning, reinforcing best practice among the staff team.

Community links were recognised and supported. Groups were invited into the home such as local schools, scout groups and church organisations. Relatives told us they were involved and welcomed at Cubbington Mill.

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.

Staff felt motivated because the registered manager and provider recognised individual staff member's skills and nurtured staff to reach their full potential. One staff member explained how this approach had enabled them to take further qualifications and progress their career at Cubbington Mill. Staff took on ‘champion roles’ in areas such as dementia, health and safety, moving and handling and falls. Champions were given extra support and training and promoted best practice within the home and ensured it was consistently implemented.

Staff told us they were encouraged to share ideas to improve the quality of care provided. One staff member told us, “Our manager is always looking for our ideas about how we can improve things. If you have an idea, you share it. We talked about having a remembrance garden for those residents who have passed, as a way of showing respect. It hasn’t happened yet, but it has been discussed.” Another staff member commented, “Communication between our team is very good. By talking about things, we share what is going well and what we can change. We learn as a team.”

The registered manager provided placements for student nurses from a local university. Student nurses were extremely positive about their placements and the opportunity to learn about nursing careers within the adult social care sector. The registered manager explained how reflective discussions and supervision conversations with student nurses helped the home stay up to date with best practice standards.

The provider had a regional clinical development nurse who reviewed accidents and incidents to ensure any learning had been identified. They also shared national clinical updates and best practice guidance. Learning and information sharing between the services within the provider group was facilitated and supported.