Care Outlook (New Larchwood)

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 managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

This service scored 71 (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. Leaders and staff shared a common understanding of what good care looked like, and how they should work together to achieve it. They did this successfully, which ensured good outcomes for people.The registered manager told us how they shared their values with people, saying, “Our Philosophy, Mission and Values are included within our Service User Guide which is provided to all service users.” Induction, training, learning and reflection all ensured staff were reminded of their core purpose and supported to continue achieving it.

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. People, relatives and health professionals spoke positively about the service.The registered manager knew the service, people and staff well. They led with openness and honesty. Staff told us leaders were approachable and supportive.Staff felt their feedback was listened to and that they were kept well‑informed about relevant updates and changes.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The registered manager welcomed feedback from people, relatives, staff and other professionals. Records evidenced how feedback was utilised to make improvements. For example, during a recent staff survey, some staff raised concerns about areas they lacked confidence in or systems that required improvement. Leaders created an action plan and met with staff to gather their feedback and suggestions to drive improvements. Information about how to speak up, including safeguarding contacts were available to people and staff. Leaders were open, transparent and responsive throughout the assessment process. The provider had a whistle-blowing policy in place. Staff were aware of this and how to raise any concerns if they needed to. Regular supervision meetings took place where staff could share feedback. Staff told us they were listened to and felt confident in speaking up.

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 policies and procedures to promote workforce equality and diversity.Staff had received equality and diversity training. There was no evidence of discrimination. The provider promoted an inclusive culture, where staff were treated fairly and respected.

The provider did not always have effective governance. For example, some care plans did not contain fully personalised information such as people’s likes and dislikes, detailed guidance for specific clinical tasks or any goals people wanted to achieve. Some daily care notes were not always recorded in a person-centred way. Leaders had not identified this during their auditing processes. Despite this, staff and leaders knew people well. People were not at risk of avoidable harm and were fully in control of their lives. Leaders took immediate actions to address the issues identified which included reviewing their pre-assessment processes and paperwork and reviewing care plans. However, this will take time to fully embed in practice.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles and systems of accountability. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They acted on the best information about risk and shared this securely with others when appropriate. For example, incidents were logged and analysed, and lessons learned were shared with staff. The registered manager understood their role in relation to duty of candour and were honest and open with us throughout the assessment process. Services are legally bound to inform the local authority and CQC about certain significant events that occur at their service. This legal obligation had been fulfilled.

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 registered manager discussed their links with local health and social services teams and understood how to seek support from them when required. Partners shared positive feedback about staff and leaders. One professional said, “They always attend provider forums, meetings, and share ideas for collaboration and continuous improvement across systems. They recently shared best practice with another extra care group following an event for Remembrance Day and evidenced how they involved people.”

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. Staff were supported to undertake ongoing refresher training which contributed to safe, effective care. Staff developed their skills so they could support and train other staff.The provider used audits, incident reviews and feedback to identify themes and areas for improvement. The registered manager told us they had links with various health and social care forums which they identified helped them keep up to date and share learning and good practice. Feedback from professionals was positive. A professional said, “They raised concerns in a timely manner and shared ideas on how they could make improvements.”