Lonsdale Midlands Limited - 164 Walker Road

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.

There was a positive culture which promoted person centred care and put people at the heart of their care and support. The staff team created an individualised approach to each person’s day and recognised and supported people’s right to make their own decisions and direct their own care.

The locality manager told us the home had been specifically identified as having a strong culture of individualised care and their approach was shared with other services so learning could be embedded.

The provider held regular meetings with managers across local services where good practice was discussed and any learning from events was shared. The staff team told us any learning was shared with them via the communication systems to ensure the positive culture could be maintained.

The provider had inclusive leaders 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.

Without exception relatives and staff spoke positively about the skills, experience and compassion of the registered manager. One relative said, “The registered manager has worked there for many years and you don’t get that at many places, it’s very well run. You wouldn’t get any better, they are flagship, brilliant.”

Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and appreciated their focus on people. One staff member said, “[Name of registered manager] is a great manager, always takes on board our views. They are all about people, always here to support.”

There were well established systems in place which enabled the staff team to understand their responsibilities. With the support of the team leader, the registered manager provided effective oversight of the service and ensured people received a high standard of care. The registered manager understood their responsibilities as a registered person and had notified us of events, as required by law.

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

Relatives and staff shared no concerns with us about the home or the way it was managed. Feedback was positive and both relatives and staff told us they were confident to approach the registered manager with any concerns. One staff member said, “The manager operates an open door policy. Any concerns you come straight them. Can talk to any time. You can sit down and talk to them.”

Staff were able to tell us how they would escalate concerns for people within the organisation and with the involvement of other agencies if required.

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 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.

Staff and the management team had received training in diversity and inclusion and there were processes in place to support the individual needs of staff.

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.

There were well established systems and audits in place to monitor the quality of care and ensure people received care that was responsive to their changing needs. The provider used a practice observation tool which reflected right support, right care, right culture guidance in order to record observations of care, feedback about choices and whether people lived fulfilling lives.

A range of audits were regularly completed by the registered manager which monitored safety. Analysis was also completed in relation to incidents and occurrences of positive behavioural support techniques, to ensure people lived in the least restrictive way possible.

The provider’s locality manager also conducted audits at the home, which provided both support and oversight of the running of the home.

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.

There were systems in place to support partnership working with local agencies and professionals. This included professionals from health and social care agencies. The staff team worked alongside relevant professionals who supported people to live fulfilling lives in line with their individual interests and personalities.

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 registered manager used findings from audits to improve the quality of care people received. Feedback from people, relatives and staff was used to make improvements to people’s experiences and ensure people’s care and support was responsive to their needs.

Learning was documented and shared with the staff team. Where audits had specifically identified concerns, plans for improvements were recorded in order to improve practice or reduce the risk of recurrence.

Manager’s from across the provider’s services met regularly to share learning from events which enabled them to take action to reduce the risks of similar events occurring at the homes they managed. The registered manager shared with us safety improvements that had been made at the home, based on learning from other services.