Mill 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 for this key question has remained good.

This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led.

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.

The culture within the service was supported by a strong, approachable management team who had a good range of experience. Staff told us the management team were supportive but recent surveys indicated teamwork was not considered good by all staff. The manager said they have since followed this up and was always striving to make improvements within the team to ensure professional boundaries were maintained and there was an inclusive culture.

Reflective practice helped ensure staff considered if actions taken during an incident or near miss were appropriate.

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.

Clear oversight ensured the care home was run in people’s interest and people were supported in line with their needs and preferences. Management regularly consulted with staff about their needs and accessed training and support for staff as required. Performance monitoring was used as a way of monitoring staff performance where concerns had been identified, and training and support was in line with staff's needs.

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff told us that they felt fairly treated, and that they were confident that where they raised concerns, these would be dealt with by the provider.

Staff were familiar with whistleblowing procedures and felt able to raise concerns. People using the service had opportunities to speak with health care professionals, social services and other agencies. People told us they spoke with the manager or their key worker and things were quickly addressed.

Relatives told us their family members were well supported, their needs known and communication was robust.

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 were supported through a recruitment process in which staff from the onset were provided with clear expectations and benefits of working at the service. Staff received a clear induction, ongoing training and support which was monitored to ensure staff could bring their best selves to work.

Staff felt able to raise concerns and where mistakes were made there were transparent processes to ensure primarily the safety of people using the service but also to ensure mistakes helped to inform and improve practice.

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. We were confident and assured by the managers ability to run a harmonious service whilst helping people feel secure and safe in the least restrictive approach.

We met with the area manager and reviewed their audits and routine audits and maintenance for the service. Whilst some areas were highlighted for improvement, these were immediately addressed and we found the manager responsive and robust.

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.

People felt part of their community, one person asked to go to the pub to sit in their garden and we noted people accessing public transport, local facilities including shopping, sports and entertainment.

The service worked with other partners and had built up a good relationship locally to help ensure people’s journey through the health and social services was as seamless as possible. It was helpful that staff supporting people had established good relationships with them and knew their needs well.

The provider focused on continuous learning, innovation, and improvement across the organisation and local system.

Improvements to the environment were already noted and the service had a rolling action plan which addressed anything that was required. Staff training and development was up to date, and the service were always considering new opportunities for people.