Westward Care 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 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.

The service promoted a clear, shared vision and culture that put people’s rights, choices and independence at the centre. Leaders used the provider’s mission statement, values and culture guide to set expectations about trust, equality and shared learning. A member of staff told us, “It is all person-centred and focused on the residents. They enjoy all the activities. It is a good mix of activities and chilled out weekends, and they all seem very happy. It is one of the most activity-led homes I have been in, and it is all about good communication between the residents and staff.”

People were actively involved in decisions about their care, activities and the environment, for example, choosing colours for redecoration and contributing ideas for the garden and communal areas. Care plans focused on what people could do, what mattered to them and how staff should support their goals, which reflected the principles of Right support, right care, right culture for autistic people and people with a learning disability. An external professional confirmed, “Staff demonstrate the skills and competence required to support residents’ individual needs, particularly in promoting social inclusion, independence, and wellbeing. Their approach is calm, respectful, and person-centred.”

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 service benefited from capable, visible and compassionate leaders who knew people well and continued to drive improvements. The registered manager had worked at the home for several years, knew each person in detail and was described by relatives as “amazing” and “going above and beyond”, with 1 person saying their family member’s life had “turned around” since moving in.

Staff told us the manager and senior team were “really supportive”, “wonderful” and “always there to help”, and new staff said they felt welcomed, well inducted and able to ask questions at any time. Leaders modelled the provider’s values, took part in night shifts so they understood people’s needs across the 24‑hour period and used regular supervision, team meetings and observations to coach staff and celebrate good practice. They ensured training was up to date, including Mental Capacity Act, safeguarding, positive behaviour support and Oliver McGowan training, and used specialist input to support staff to reduce restrictive practices and medicines in line with STOMP, (Stopping Over-Medication of People with a Learning Disability, Autism or Both)

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

The service encouraged people, staff and relatives to speak up, and managers acted on concerns and learning from incidents. Staff told us they would report any worries straight away to the manager or senior on duty, and most could clearly explain how they would escalate concerns to the provider, local authorities or CQC if they felt action had not been taken. The service had a clear safeguarding policy, local safeguarding protocols and a safeguarding folder showing timely referrals and actions taken to protect people.

Staff surveys and supervision records showed managers routinely asked about workload, wellbeing, bullying or harassment and whether staff felt safe to raise concerns. Staff told us they felt listened to and were confident the manager would act. One member of staff said, “In supervisions I get feedback on my performance. I am able to voice my opinions or any concerns or any improvements I want to suggest.”

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 service promoted workforce equality, diversity and inclusion, and staff described a supportive and flexible place to work. The provider’s staff handbook and culture guide set out clear expectations about rights, equality and inclusion, including family‑friendly policies and support for staff health and wellbeing. Leaders used staff surveys and supervision to explore workload, development, teamworking and any experience of discrimination or harassment, and staff told us they felt valued and able to discuss personal issues. Managers adjusted shifts to help parents manage school runs and supported a staff member returning after a period of sick leave, building their confidence and adapting duties so they could stay in work.

Staff completed equality and diversity training and said the team worked well together, with newer staff mentored by experienced colleagues. Staff treated everyone as individuals and respected different needs, lifestyles and backgrounds.

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 service had effective governance and management arrangements that helped sustain safe, high‑quality care and a stable staff team. Leaders used a structured 28‑day management rota, regular senior meetings and a detailed service improvement plan to review all aspects of care, staffing, the environment and people’s outcomes with clear actions, responsibilities and timescales. Incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns and feedback from people, relatives, staff and visitors fed into the improvement plan, and we saw examples where lessons from incidents led to clearer plans, debriefs for staff and changes to practice.

There was a strong quality‑assurance framework, including monthly manager “walkarounds”, quarterly regional manager visits, senior leadership reviews and unannounced provider spot checks, alongside themed audits of medicines, infection prevention, safeguarding, staff files and health and safety. A business continuity plan covered foreseeable emergencies such as fire, floods, staff shortages and loss of utilities, helping to protect people’s care during disruption. Environmental checks, statutory servicing and planned refurbishment works showed the provider was investing in maintaining and improving the building over time.

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 worked constructively with families, professionals and community organisations so people could live active, connected lives. Relatives told us communication with the staff was “amazing” and that staff involved them in decisions, with regular phone calls, emails and face‑to‑face meetings to review care and plan next steps together.

Staff worked closely with health and social care professionals, including psychology, mental health teams, speech and language therapists, GPs and physiotherapists, and care records showed timely referrals and clear guidance from specialists being followed in practice.

People took part in a wide range of community activities such as volunteering at day centres, going to local clubs, the gym, swimming, football matches and shopping, with support adjusted to their needs so they could participate safely.

The provider held regular managers’ meetings across its local services to share learning, celebrate achievements and discuss system‑wide issues.

The home was part of the community rather than separate from it, and this was confirmed in feedback received.

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 service promoted learning and improvement, and leaders continued to strengthen systems that supported innovation in people’s care. There was a clear learning culture. Incidents were analysed using tools to understand behaviour and a lessons‑learned template; staff took part in debriefs, and actions were agreed to reduce future risks and improve people’s experiences.

The provider’s quality‑assurance audits, unannounced spot checks and service improvement plan brought together findings from care records, medicines, safeguarding, health and safety, feedback and staff experience, with progress reviewed regularly. Leaders used recognised approaches such as Positive Behaviour Support and the PERMA wellbeing model, which focusses on helping people flourish, feel fulfilled and maintain long term wellbeing. They also worked with specialist teams to safely reduce the use of psychotropic medicines in line with STOMP, improving people’s alertness and quality of life.

Managers attended regional and national leadership events to share best practice, and staff told us training, mentoring and supervision helped them build skills and confidence over time.