Watermead Rose 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. This is the first assessment for this 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.

People, relatives and staff told us the service had an open and positive culture where everyone involved in the service was valued and listened to. A relative said, “It feels like it’s a social place as everyone interacts so well. The reception staff are cheerful, helpful and welcoming. Nobody’s putting anything on, it’s the same today here as always.”

The staff team were committed to delivering high-quality personalised care. Kindness and support extended to people’s relatives who were welcomed at every visit and received regular updates on what was happening at the service. A relative said, “Communication is excellent. Everyday staff post on-line what’s going on.”

Managers and leaders continually monitored the service to ensure the provider’s vision and values were informing how the service operated. Systems were in place to encourage continual learning and improvement.

In 2024 the provider was recognised as a ‘Top 20 Care Home Group’ in the carehome.co.uk Care Home Group Awards 2024. This accolade was based on reviews from people and relatives.

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.

Managers and leaders were present at the service and knowledgeable about the people, relatives and staff. They visited people in communal areas and in their rooms to talk with them and check they were satisfied with the service.

A relative said of the registered manager, “They’re really good, always acknowledges us, very approachable. They’re always involved in do’s [events put on by the service] and know everyone by name.”

People and relatives said the service had a welcoming and friendly culture. A relative said that when they first visited staff offered them drinks, told them all about the service, and showed them a bedroom. They told us, “We felt some warmth from [staff member], they were very caring.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people and staff felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard.

Staff had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns, and suggest ways to improve the service. A staff member said managers and leaders were, ‘approachable, accessible and responsive’.

People and relatives said they would be confident to speak up of they needed to. A relative told us, “If I had any issues, I feel I could knock on [registered manager’s] door and speak to them.”

The provider regularly asked people and relatives for feedback on the service. A person said, “We get asked for feedback quite often.” A relative told us, “We had a form from staff about our first impressions [of the service] and there are questionnaires in reception to complete if we wish.”

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 an equality and diversity policy designed to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010. Staff were trained in equality and diversity.

Staff completed equality and diversity monitoring forms. The data collected helped the provider to understand their workforce's diversity and assess the impact of their policies and practices on different groups with a view to promoting a more inclusive and equitable environment.

The service had a diverse and multilingual staff group and technology was available to assist them in communication and understanding. The service had an electronic document platform where staff could read policies and procedures in multiple languages. Staff could also use an online/mobile translation service to assist them in their work.

The registered manager had an open-door policy and encouraged staff to voice any concerns they may have. A staff member said, “Team working is good, and the [registered] manager is approachable and listens.”

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.

Leaders, managers and staff followed a comprehensive audit schedule covering all aspects of the service. Audits were carried out at provider and service level to ensure both internal and provider-level oversight. Records showed any shortfalls were identified and addressed.

The provider notified CQC about any change, event or incident that occurred. This ensured CQC was aware of what was happening at the service.

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.

Staff worked in partnership with key organisations to support care provision, service development and joined-up care. This included healthcare professionals, the local authority, and the voluntary sector.

People told us staff involved the local community in activities at the service. A relative said, “My [family member] and I really love the way they invite local people in to sing and play music.” Another relative told us, “The 2 activity organisers are amazing at getting the community in.” The gave the example of the ‘winter warmers’ the staff organised when anyone over 60 from the local community was welcomed into the service for free soup, sandwiches, tea and cakes.

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.

The provider had good systems and processes in place to ensure continuous learning and improvement. Managers analysed findings from audits and used the results to identify areas of the service that needed improvement.

Residents’ and staff meetings were central to this process. For example, minutes from both and other feedback showed some dissatisfaction with the quality of the Asian food served. To address this, the registered manager stopped ordering Asian food in and instead recruited catering staff to prepare Asian meals on site. This resolved thethe concerns and people were now satisfied with the Asian meals provided.

When incidents/accidents occurred, specific learning took place to reduce future risk. For example, following an incident at a different service when a hoist failed, the provider analysed the incident and told all their managers to take immediate action to ensure people were safe when being hoisted.