The Dales

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 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 registered manager 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 registered manager had a clear standard of care which should be adhered to, and they completed routine checks to ensure people received good quality care. Staff told us they are clear on the provider’s vision and the values the service have. Through a combination of meetings and handovers, staff are kept up to date on key changes to ensure there is a continual learning culture.

The registered manager was an inclusive leader who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. The registered manager 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 registered manager ensured the service consistently provided high quality care. One person said, “I know who the manager is. They are very good.” One member of staff told us, “We are blessed to have such good managers here.” The registered manager had a focus of inclusivity to ensure people and relatives were all heard and involved when making decisions. They also did routine checks to ensure key documentation relating to medication, care planning and clinical oversight were also fully completed to a high standard.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff told us they felt able to speak up with confidence the concern would be resolved sensitively and promptly. People and their relatives echoed this complimenting the ‘open door’ policy of the registered manager.

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 felt values by the provider. Staff consistently told us there was an inclusive workforce where all staff were treated fairly, equally and with respect. People told us they appreciated all of the staff ‘behind the scenes’ who support care and nursing staff. One person told us, “The maintenance team do a good job keeping the place safe and the housekeeping team are so thorough.”

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 routinely visited and supported the service by completing their own checks to ensure high quality care were being provided. Staff had a good relationship with the Regional Director which was grounded by respect and appreciation for the support staff provided people. There were clear governance checks and systems in place to ensure staff responded to people’s needs and provided the right support.

The service 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. Staff and leaders had an open and positive attitude to working with community organisations to ensure there were strong links with the local community. There were strong relationships built up with local religious organisations and local businesses to facilitate events and trips.

The registered manager 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 continuous learning and improvement to ensure new approaches and support tools could be adopted to benefit people’s lives. The provider has invested into the service to ensure the environment is high quality with investment in technologies to streamline the admin tasks staff complete to allow them to prioritise supporting people.