The Laurels and The Limes Care Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained requires improvement. This meant the management and leadership was inconsistent. Leaders and the culture they created did not always support the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 54 (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 did not have a clear shared vision, strategy and culture which was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, and engagement. They did not always understand the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. Staff did not consistently work towards a shared direction or vision for the service. The provider had recently implemented changes to the management team who were working with staff to foster a more positive culture, and to support staff in delivering consistent, high-quality care. The current management team had begun to make progress; further work was required to embed these improvements and ensure they resulted in sustained and positive outcomes for people.

Not all leaders understood the context in which the provider delivered care, treatment and support. They did not always embody the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders did not always have the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. However, recent changes in the management team had resulted in noticeable improvements. We found the current management team demonstrated the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively and to do so with integrity, openness and honesty. Whilst these changes had begun to have a positive impact, they were still relatively recent and required time to become fully embedded and sustained. Staff spoke positively about the changes in leadership. One staff member said, "[The manager] is very approachable and has made improvements to the home. Since they have come on board there has been a massive improvement to the home, and it is very noticeable."

People did not always feel they could speak up and that their voice would be heard. Although the current management team had taken steps to encourage a more open and transparent culture, these were still in the early stages and needed to be consistently embedded in the service.

The provider did not always value diversity in their workforce. They did not always work towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. Recent changes in the management team had made positive changes to improve equality, further work was required to ensure diversity and inclusion were consistently promoted and reflected in everyday practice.

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. However, the current management team had begun strengthening governance processes to improve oversight of the service. The current management team had identified areas for improvement and had made a start in addressing concerns within the service. A comprehensive service improvement plan was in place and set out clear actions and progress against the plan was monitored and reviewed regularly. These improvements were encouraging, but further work was required to ensure people received high quality care and support.

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. The current management team interacted well with external professionals to ensure timely referrals took place as required.

The current management team had begun to embed a culture of 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. The provider had made changes to improve the service based on feedback received from staff, people and relatives. The current management team demonstrated a commitment to improving people’s experiences, outcomes and quality of life by encouraging new ways of working and promoting reflective practice. These initiatives were still in their infancy and required time to fully embed and demonstrate sustained improvements in the service.