Belong Chester

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. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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 82 (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 was working in partnership with a charity who ran a children’s nursery based at Belong Chester and had developed a shared vision to support people living at the service and the children to have regular contact, sharing learning and experiences. A staff member told us, “The ethos is amazing and fantastic. The intergenerational approach is fabulous. The children come on the household and the difference with the residents is a joy to behold.” We received feedback from a relative who told us due to their relative’s former occupation the intergenerational approach had been a, “Source of joy.” The provider had developed a Dementia Care Strategy, which focused on a person- first philosophy, with an enabling environment and people’s well-being at its centre. The provider was undertaking some further development work with an external provider to review and re-launch their core values, in consultation with people and staff.

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 was relatively new to the role. The provider was supporting them with ongoing training and development. A new assistant support manager role had recently been implemented to further strengthen the management team. Overall, staff told us managers were approachable and supportive. However, some said communication could be better at times, as team meetings had not always taken place as planned. Some staff had not always had the opportunity to feedback though supervision. The provider took some actions to confirm their expectations around the frequency of meetings and approach to staff supervision meetings in future.

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

The provider had a ‘Speaking Out at Work’ policy in place. The provider undertook ‘Your Voice’ surveys with staff, an action plan had been developed in response to the latest survey undertaken. Further drop-in sessions with colleagues from the provider’s people team had been arranged to give staff the opportunity for further discussions. Overall, staff told us they felt able to raise issues or concerns with managers who were accessible; however, we did receive feedback some staff did not always feel their voices had been heard.

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 had an equality and rights policy in place, which had recently been reviewed and updated. Overall, staff told us they were treated fairly by the organisation.

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 provider had various systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. Prior to our assessment, the provider had already introduced a range of improvements to increase their oversight and ensure audits undertaken were effective. The provider shared their service development plan, which included various completed improvements and where further development was ongoing. Some of the issues we identified were already part of the provider’s development plan, however, not all had been identified and or addressed. For example, not all required notifications about certain incidents had been submitted to CQC as required. The provider had reviewed complaints, in line with governance processes. Manager told us they were focused on staff performance and accurate and timely recording. The provider was responsive, taking several actions in response to our feedback to strengthen their oversight, including tracking actions until fully completed. They were committed to building a robust and effective governance system. The identified improvements and systems needed to be fully embedded.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

The provider worked in partnership with a dementia specialist (admiral nurse) based at the service, who provided advice, support and coaching to people, carers and staff. Staff welcomed the local community to join and be part of life at the service, including events held, such as ‘Morning Melodies’ or church services. Several community volunteers supported various activities. There was a gym and hair salon on-site, which was open for public use. The public were welcomed to use the on-site Bistro for drinks and meals, and people benefitted from the interactions with people from the local community. The provider worked in partnership with a local college and feedback indicated their collaboration had been impactful, feedback included, “The community engagement fostered by Belong is truly commendable.”

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 provider took an innovative approach and used research to inform their practice. The provider had developed the service based on evidence-based care models and strategies. They had developed an innovative intergenerational approach and there was a shared vision and strategy with the on-site nursery. People, relatives and staff described the benefits for children and people, who regularly engaged and shared activities and experiences. The provider used research to inform their governance of the service. For example, an annual clinical report was linked to various aspects of research to inform the decision-making process. The provider shared wider learning within the organisation, such as reviewing and learning from ‘prevention of deaths’ reports. The provider’s collaboration with a local college also demonstrated the provider’s commitment to fostering a workforce in health and social care. Feedback shared with us said, “The college’s collaboration with Belong stands out as a shining example of how industry partnerships can enrich educational experiences and prepare students for successful careers.”