Frinton 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 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 registered manager 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 registered manager set targets every year with the over-riding ambition to be the best service in the area at supporting people with complex needs. This vision was documented but was importantly focussed on people, it was not a business model but rather a plan for everyone living at the home to be able to fulfil their ambitions, dreams and live their best lives possible. The registered manager said, “I want people to feel empowered. They are not disabled, they are capable. If they have communication challenges our target is to hear what they want to tell us. If they have mobility challenges, I want them to be active.” The progress made with everyone so far had realised some of this ambition and the target was for further individual progression. The culture at the home was one of providing the best and safest support but giving people the freedom to progress and develop. Everyone living at the home displayed and were able to show the progress they had made with examples including people who were unable to stand or have the confidence to move around the home, now being able with support, to move freely around safely. People who were non-verbal when they arrived at the service now had the confidence to communicate using some words, some signs and recognisable facial expressions. Others who were anxious and concerned about going out into the community were now attending college, carrying out volunteering roles and even securing some paid work. All the staff supported this vision for people’s progression and they in turn were supported by the registered manager to develop themselves professionally for their own career progression and to develop new skills to be able to support people even better. The registered manager attended the monthly registered manager’s forum, was in regular contact with the local authority and kept themselves up to date with changes and developments within the field of learning disabilities and adult social care.

The registered manager 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 provided visible leadership, was available to people and staff and made sure that all staff knew their responsibilities and roles. A deputy manager was in place and on call was shared between the 2 managers. Leave was staggered so there was always a manager available to support if needed. The registered manager carried out weekend drop in calls, night checks and spot checks on staff. Spot checks are unannounced visits to check staff are carrying out tasks correctly. Staff told us that all these visits were supportive and that the registered manager was approachable and always helpful and available for advice. All staff told us they had their own job description and that they were clear about their roles.

The registered manager fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff were given opportunities to speak up, raise concerns or share best practice and ideas. Regular supervision meetings enabled staff to speak with the registered manager or deputy in an individual basis but because the home was small, there were daily interactions and conversations. Regular team meetings were held and documented. Records showed that staff spoke up and their views were recorded and acted on. The registered manager said, “We also have meetings when there is a need, if something has happened or there is new information to share.” They added, “I have an open-door policy. We work as a team within our own professional boundaries.” A member of staff said, “Yes, the meetings are regular. I come when I can but notes are always available. (Registered manager) will provide lunch and snacks for us.”

The registered manager 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 told us of a rich diversity among the workforce and said everyone got on well and respected each other’s different cultures and faiths. The registered manager told us that diversity was actively promoted within the team and openness and kindness to others was key to maintaining a content and happy staff team. The home had created it’s own set of values which underpinned how staff worked and behaved. These were displayed around the home and all staff were aware of their meaning and value.

The registered manager 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. A thorough system of auditing was in place, overseen by the registered manager. Records were kept and each area had a commentary relating to findings. Any issues, positive or negative or any themes or trends, were identified and acted on. Auditing processes were carried out regularly. Where specific issues or incidents occurred then auditing would be brought forward to immediately address the issue, update records and identify any patterns. An example was where a person had a minor scald from a hot drink. This was dealt with appropriately at the time as an accident but prompted an immediate review of all accidents and incidents. Although this was an isolated incident it prompted a review of taking temperatures of hot drinks and other hot areas within the kitchen and the policy was revised to reflect these immediate changes. There was also a daily sheet which showed staff and managers responsibilities for each day. These provided a daily checklist of tasks and activities which were completed by each staff member and then by the registered manager would review and act on any urgent matters not previously brought to their attention. In addition to the local auditing there was a ‘Quality Team’ that provided company oversight to identify positive and negative issues.

The registered manager 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 registered manager had forged positive working relationships with other health and social care professionals. They were also aware of their place in the local community and actively encouraged and supported people to get involved in local activities and events. Some people attended a local church each week and had become regular attendees, known to everyone else who visited the church. A relative said, “It’s good as it’s like another community they can be involved with.” Some people supported a local homeless charity by carrying out regular voluntary work. This led to a person receiving an award for being the ‘Volunteer of the Year.’ The registered manager opened the home to visitors at key times of the year. For example, the local Mayor visited every Christmas. The home had open days and other events where local people, businesses and neighbours were invited into the home.

The registered manager 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 was actively involved with a range of forums, meetings and conferences with a view to continuously learn and bring new ideas and practices back to the home. They attended the local registered managers forum, the annual care show and were actively engaged with the local authority where new ideas and best practice was regularly shared. The local authority medicines team had carried out a piece of work with the service which had involved reducing one person’s daily medicines from 20 to 7. This work was carried out with the person’s GP and family and no adverse effects resulted. The local authority has show cased this example of continuous learning and development across other services to demonstrate how the stopping the over medication of people living with autism and learning disabilities (STOMP) can be safely achieved.