Bourne Bridge House

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 71 (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 had a positive and inclusive culture that was driven by a clear set of values and a shared vision. The registered manager promoted a strong sense of purpose across the staff team, ensuring everyone understood their role in supporting people to achieve the best possible outcomes. A recent values workshop encouraged staff involvement in reviewing and reshaping the home's values, helping to ensure they reflected the experiences and views of those working within the service.

The service was committed to promoting people's rights and people were encouraged to make choices, maintain relationships and take part in activities important to them. Support was focused on what people could do and how they wished to live their lives.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people's individual needs and the importance of treating people with dignity and respect. Leaders promoted an open culture where concerns could be raised and discussed. Staff told us they felt comfortable approaching managers for advice and support and were confident they would be listened to.

Staff told us they felt proud of the culture and teamwork within 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.

Some staff felt they would like to see senior leaders in the service more often. However, staff spoke positively about the support they received from the registered manager and senior team. They told us managers were visible, accessible and willing to listen to ideas and concerns.

The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of their responsibilities and were aware of areas where further improvement was needed.

Staff told us they felt valued and supported in their roles. One staff member told us, "[Registered manager] and [deputy manager] are great." Another staff member described the registered manager as supportive of their learning and development.

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

Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns and were confident the registered manager would listen and take action where needed. Staff were able to describe how they would report poor practice and understood their responsibilities to speak up if they were worried about a person's wellbeing or safety. The registered manager regularly discussed safeguarding and staff practice to help ensure concerns could be identified and addressed quickly.

Relatives also told us they felt able to raise issues with the service. One relative told us, "I do feel I can speak up and make a complaint if necessary. I get on well with the staff." Another relative explained that concerns they raised were generally listened to and discussed with 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.

The provider promoted equality and diversity within the workforce and ensured staff were treated fairly and with respect. Staff spoke positively about how they were supported in their roles and felt their individual diverse needs were supported. Staff shared with us how the registered manager had supported them in their individual circumstances and provided support in both their personal and professional lives. Policies and practices reflected a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and staff had access to relevant training to support their understanding.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability or good governance. They did not always act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this securely with others when appropriate.

The registered manager had identified and escalated a number of environmental concerns to the provider, however timely action had not been taken to address them. During the inspection, we observed multiple areas of damp and mould within people's homes, including in areas used routinely by people. One flat had a persistent smell of damp throughout. Although dehumidifiers had been provided as a control measure to reduce the impact of damp, staff had not ensured these were in use at the time of our inspection, limiting their effectiveness in mitigating the risk.

These findings exposed people to avoidable risks associated with an unsuitably maintained environment. This demonstrated that provider-level governance, maintenance and oversight arrangements were not sufficiently robust to ensure identified environmental risks were addressed in a timely manner and that the premises were maintained to a standard that promoted people's safety, comfort, health and wellbeing.

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.

Staff worked with a range of professionals, including specialist health services, psychology and speech and language therapy teams, to help ensure support reflected people's needs. Advice from professionals was incorporated into care records and used to guide staff practice. One professional told us, “Throughout my times at Bourne Bridge House, I have regularly observed staff providing high levels of care and commitment towards people. Staff show great care to support people. In terms of the management of the service, staff have always been very helpful to me when arranging [appointments]. I feel very welcome and relaxed when I visit Bourne Bridge House and really enjoy our work together.”

The registered manager recognised the importance of maintaining relationships with relatives and involving them in discussions about care. Although some relatives felt communication could be more consistent, feedback was generally positive and relatives told us they were able to contact the service, attend reviews and raise concerns when needed.

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 management team supported the assessment process and were open and acted with integrity. They wanted to improve any areas of feedback and acted immediately to further enhance the service. Action plans were used efficiently to address any concerns and identify better ways to deliver the service.