Iden Manor Nursing Home

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 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.

We received positive comments from people and their relatives about the home. Some of the comments included, “I have only positive thoughts about the care home, and I feel my relative is very safe and looked after there.”, “Its brilliant, that encompasses everything. I have nothing but praise for the care home and the staff there.” “I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. My relative is very happy there and we are very happy with the care home.”

The organisation values were displayed in visible areas where staff could see them. These values included their commitment to providing excellent care. Staff understood these values, and they told us these were regularly discussed with them during team meetings. One staff member said, “I’m very committed to the service delivered to the residents. The registered manager is very good. She always emphasises why what we do is important.” Another staff member commented, “We have handovers and team meetings, and we discuss people’s care and how to care for them well. We are like a family here; we support each other and care for the residents like family would.”

The provider promoted an open and transparent culture where they shared information about the service appropriately including the values of the service, lessons learned from incidents and accidents and plans for the service. Partners we received feedback from commented, “I have no concerns from my encounters aboutIdenManor. In my role, I engage with a lot of care homes and their managers and staff. I rate IdenManorvery highly.” Another partner agency stated, “Our experience ofIdenManoris really positive, they will support and assess patients with higher needs than other local care homes…They are very honest and open about the support they are able to offer and will always try to accommodate if possible.”

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, relatives and staff told us the service was well run, and they knew who to speak to if they had concerns. One person told us, “[Registered manager] office is over there. We see her around and she stops to have a chat with us. We have meetings with her, and I bring any concerns to her attention.” A relative mentioned, “The communication is amazing, and the management and staff are very approachable. I can speak to them or email them at any time.”

The registered manager and nominated individual provided leadership, offering clear communication and direction to staff while remaining accessible for support in their roles. Both possess the experience and professional qualifications necessary to manage the service effectively and ensure people’s needs are met.

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

Staff knew how to speak up and felt they could if they needed to. One staff member told us, “I can speak to the registered manager if I have concerns, I’m not afraid to do so and I can take the concerns outside like to CQC or social services.” Regular team meetings and supervision meetings were held where staff were encouraged to share their concerns, opinions and give feedback about the service. The registered manager held regular sessions with staff to ensure they knew their rights, so they were empowered to speak up, challenge decisions, and contribute to the highest standards of care.

The registered manager told us they operated an open-door policy and welcomed staff or anyone to come in and share their concerns about the service.

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.

The staff team was diverse with different experience, skills and culture. Staff told us they felt supported and included in the home. One staff member, “It is a lovely place to work, and I feel safe at work. In the beginning I didn’t know what to expect and I was a little bit nervous but from my first day everyone made me feel welcomed. I ask questions if I don’t understand anything and I get supported.” Another staff member said, “Working here has enabled me to do what I truly enjoy. It has empowered me and helped me develop and I continue to learn and develop.”

Staff were supported in observing their religious practices when needed. For instance, flexibility was provided in work schedules and duties to enable them to meet their religious obligations. The provider also demonstrated a commitment to staff well-being by offering support during personal challenges. Examples include making adjustments to roles, working patterns, and hours to accommodate staff with medical or health-related needs.

Staff received support through a structured induction process, ongoing supervision and coaching, and regular training and developmental programmes to help them grow and develop in their roles. Those newly arrived in the UK were assisted by a buddying system designed to ease their transition and integration. Staff feedback and training records confirmed that equality and diversity training had been completed.

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.

People and their relatives were involved in the running of the service. Regular meetings took place to give feedback about the quality of the service they received. One person told us, “I attend the resident meetings, and I raise any concerns we have, and the registered manager look into them and tell us what they would do about it. It works well and we feel involved.” A relative commented, “The staff are amazing, nothing is too much trouble. The quality of the service is very good - 5 stars doesn't even do the trick. I am quite pedantic and critical, but they are fantastic.”

The quality of the home was regularly assessed and monitored using various audits and checks to identify shortfalls. Clinical meetings were held weekly to look at the matters relating to people’s care including pressure sores, falls, weight management, infection control, medicine management and other issues. The team made decisions and took appropriate actions to improve on areas requiring improvement. For example, one person’s care plan was updated to reflect a new risk. Other areas of the service audited included, the environment, catering, infection control, staffing and health and safety. We saw action plans in place to address areas of concern.

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 service collaborated extensively with health and social care partners to design, deliver, and adapt its offerings to meet individual needs. It also worked in close partnership with specialist organisations, including dementia support services and the Motor Neurone Disease Society, to ensure tailored support for those who needed it.

The registered manager actively engaged with local institutions such as schools, churches, and charitable organisations to coordinate and provide meaningful activities for people. Staff also partnered with a local community dementia support group to ensure individuals received the necessary care and assistance they needed. One partner noted, “They are very open to cohesive and collaborative working with other services. They actually lead on this proactively.”

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 service was continually seeking for ways to develop and improve the service. The service was undergoing their accreditation to be awarded the Gold Standard Framework (GSF) status. Staff had undertaken training in the GSF in End-of-Life care and embedding GSF principles which focuses on providing high quality and dignified care to people in the final years of life.

The service had developed the clinical skills for staff to be able to care for people with specialist and complex care including people with tracheostomy, spinal injury and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding. Staff have been trained in spinal injury care, bowel management, Intravenous (IV) therapy, and cannulation. They recognised the challenges faced by people with these conditions especially for people with tracheostomies — including the discomfort, anxiety, and disruption of attending hospital appointment for these. The service collaborated with the ICBto train and support staff and to ensure clinical governance, oversight, and safety. The service was piloting the in-home tracheostomy change service, with the ambition to support other homes in adopting the model.

The service had implemented the TympaHealth programme, which delivers advanced ear and hearing care directly within community settings. This approach allows individuals to receive regular ear and hearing assessments in the comfort of their familiar care environment, eliminating the need for hospital visits. During our visit, the TympaHealth team was on-site. As people waited for their assessments, they enjoyed drinks and conversation, appearing relaxed and at ease in their home surroundings and with the staff.

The provider had also invested in many other ways to help improve people’s care, safety and wellbeing. This included training staff as qualified Foot Health Practitioners to help identify early signs of infection and prevent foot pain mobility decline and promote independence and comfort. One professional we contacted commented, “The thing that stood out to me was she was keen to help and encourage her staff in making right decisions first time for patient care and recognising things that could be improved such as doing a head injury flow chart which she was asking for input from me on. I understand they have brought in IV training which would certainly be a great help to the Home Treatment Service giving hospital level care in the home. These examples, in my opinion, show it is very safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led.” Another professional stated, “Their skill and knowledge and commitment to providing the best care they can makes working with them a pleasure. I feel secure that my patients are safe in their care and any notification to me is appropriate. An excellent team in my opinion.”