Manson 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.This is the first assessment for this re-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 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 provider led culture of promoting staff contribution and achievement through a staff recognition programme which gave both people and staff and the opportunity to nominate team members who had demonstrated exceptional commitment and dedication. Through the Spirit of Stow awards, staff were recognised for their positive contributions and the difference they made to the lives of people living at the service. The registered manager described how nominations celebrated a range of achievements, including acts of kindness, resilience and going above and beyond in their role.

Staff spoke positively about the quality of care and support provided to people and demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of delivering person-centred care. They told us they were committed to promoting people's dignity, independence, privacy and right to make choices about their lives. These principles were embedded within the service through staff induction, ongoing training and everyday practice, helping to create a culture where people were treated with respect and compassion. One member of staff told us, “There honestly isn’t anything significant that I feel I need to raise as an improvement. Obviously, no care home or workplace will ever be perfect and there will always be things that can develop, but I feel comfortable raising anything within the home and I know I would be listened to.”

During our inspection, we observed staff interacting with people in a kind, caring and respectful manner. Staff took time to engage with people, listened to their views and involved them in decisions about their care and support. People were encouraged to make choices about their daily routines, including how they spent their time, and staff respected and responded to those choices.

We also observed positive and professional interactions between staff, relatives and visiting healthcare professionals. Staff communicated effectively, shared relevant information and worked collaboratively with others involved in people's care. This demonstrated a culture of openness and partnership working, with staff focused on ensuring people received coordinated support and achieved the best possible outcomes. The approach taken by staff helped to promote people's wellbeing while ensuring their individual preferences, wishes and needs remained central to the care they received.

The service was managed by a registered manager who had a good understanding of the people living at the home, their individual needs and the people important to them. The registered manager maintained a visible presence within the service and took an active role in day-to-day life within the home. This helped leaders remain connected to both people using the service and the staff providing care and support.

Most staff spoke positively about the management team and described leaders as approachable, supportive and engaged within the service. One staff member said, “Since working at Manson House I have seen both [registered] manager and deputy manager join in with activities, walk around showing their faces, which I really do like to see.” This demonstrated that leaders were visible within the service and willing to engage with people and staff outside of formal management duties.

Another staff member commented, “The managers always lead by example. They are very calm and hardworking and when I was new to the job, they showed me how I should be when in the working environment, so I looked up to them all a lot.” This feedback reflected the positive influence leaders had on staff and highlighted the importance leaders placed on role modelling and supporting staff development.

While feedback about the management team was largely positive, a small number of staff shared a different perspective regarding accessibility at times. One staff member told us, “Management are not often visible within the home, it is clear that they are busy and don’t often have a spare minute to communicate with many of the staff on a day-to-day basis. I feel that sometimes I may be imposing if I ask for a minute of their time. I am never turned away but it can be slightly daunting approaching the office sometimes.” This feedback indicated that staff experiences varied. However, the majority of staff feedback and our observations during the assessment demonstrated that the registered manager and deputy manager were visible within the home and actively involved in the running of the service. The comments received from a small number of staff suggested there may be further opportunities to strengthen informal communication and engagement during busy periods, rather than indicating a widespread concern amongst the staff team.

The provider promoted a culture where people, staff and others connected with the service could express their views and concerns, with the expectation that these would be listened to and acted upon. Arrangements were in place to support openness, transparency and accountability throughout the service.

Staff told us they felt able to raise concerns and understood their responsibilities in relation to protecting people from harm. The provider had a whistleblowing policy in place, which was available within the service, helping to ensure staff were aware of the process for reporting concerns. Staff demonstrated an understanding of whistleblowing procedures and said they would not hesitate to report any concerns relating to people's safety, wellbeing or the quality of care being provided. A member of staff told us, “Everyone feels responsible for the safety of [people]. I have never had a safeguarding concern but if I did, I would go straight to [registered manager] or the deputy manager.” This feedback indicated staff understood their role in safeguarding people and knew who to approach if they needed to escalate concerns.

The provider's regional management team maintained a presence within the home and kept regular contact with staff, people using the service and visitors. This helped senior leaders remain informed about the experiences of people and staff and provided opportunities for feedback to be shared across different levels of the organisation. Their visibility within the service supported the provider's aim of maintaining an open culture where concerns, suggestions and feedback could be raised and discussed.

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 an inclusive and supportive working environment where staff were treated fairly and recognised as valued members of the team. Staff feedback indicated that leaders considered individual circumstances and were responsive when additional support was required. The majority of staff spoke positively about the support available to them and described management as understanding and accommodating when personal challenges arose.

One staff member told us they had received significant support from leaders during a difficult period in their personal life and felt welcomed when they returned to work. They described the support they received as, “Second to none” and said the registered manager was, “Incredibly understanding and flexible.” This feedback demonstrated the provider's commitment to supporting staff wellbeing and highlighted the positive impact compassionate and responsive leadership could have on staff experiences. Such support helped staff feel valued and reassured their individual needs and circumstances would be considered when appropriate.

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 provider and registered manager had established quality assurance systems and monitoring processes that supported the safe, effective and consistent delivery of care. These arrangements helped ensure the provider maintained oversight of the service and enabled leaders to regularly assess the quality, safety and effectiveness of care being provided.

A range of monitoring activities were used to identify emerging risks, monitor performance and highlight areas requiring further attention. This provided leaders with an up-to-date understanding of the service and supported informed decision-making. Information gathered through these processes enabled the provider to respond appropriately to issues as they arose and maintain oversight of people's experiences and outcomes.

The provider used these governance and oversight arrangements to promote continuous improvement across the service. Findings from quality monitoring activities were reviewed to identify opportunities to strengthen practice, address areas for development and enhance the quality of care people received. This proactive approach helped support positive outcomes for people and contributed to the ongoing development of the service.

The provider and home manager adopted an open and collaborative approach when working with key stakeholders and partner organisations. They recognised the importance of developing positive relationships with external agencies to help ensure people received high-quality, coordinated care and support.

Staff worked closely with a range of health and social care professionals to support people's individual needs and wellbeing. This partnership approach helped ensure relevant information was shared appropriately, care was planned effectively and people were able to access specialist advice and support when required.

Throughout the inspection, we saw examples of the registered manager and staff engaging with external professionals to help meet people's changing needs and promote positive outcomes. Working collaboratively with partner agencies supported continuity of care and helped ensure people experienced joined-up support that was tailored to their individual circumstances. This approach contributed to the delivery of person-centred care and helped people receive the right support at the right time from the appropriate professionals.

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.

There was a strong commitment across the service to creating and maintaining a culture of reflection, learning and continuous improvement. Staff and leaders demonstrated a shared understanding of the importance of regularly reviewing practice, learning from experiences and identifying opportunities to enhance the quality of care and support provided to people. This approach helped to ensure the service remained focused on delivering positive outcomes and responding to people's changing needs.

The service demonstrated a willingness to learn from day-to-day experiences, incidents, feedback and best practice guidance. Staff and leaders worked together to identify lessons learned and consider how these could be used to strengthen care delivery and improve people's experiences. New ideas and different perspectives were welcomed, supporting innovation and ensuring the service did not become complacent.