Walmer Care Centre

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 as good. At this assessment the rating has remained as 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 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The exceptional culture and direction of the service had been created and embedded by every member of staff, and all took ownership in maintaining this. Staff were consistently focused on people’s quality of life, ensuring they were at the centre of their care within their home and confident they supported people to live well for as long as possible.

Staff achievements and feedback demonstrated their commitment to a person-centred, ‘home from home’ service where people could live their life to the best standard possible.

The service had received several nominations for staff commitment to the high-quality level of care the service provided over recent years and had won several awards. These were all proudly displayed at the entrance to the service where staff would be reminded of their achievements and people and visitors reassured about the care the service provided.

We spoke with the nominated individual, quality and compliance director, registered manager, a deputy manager, senior care staff, care staff, ancillary and voluntary staff working for the service. There was a unanimous sense of pride from every staff member about working for the service. A staff member said, “I feel very fortunate to be part of such a caring, supportive, and dedicated workplace.” Another said, “I am proud to work at such a wonderful care home, where the wellbeing, dignity and safety of our residents are always at the heart of everything we do. The manager is incredibly kind, welcoming and approachable, and one of the things I particularly value is how visible and involved they are within the home. They take the time to listen, support both residents and staff, and genuinely care about creating a positive environment for everyone.”

A volunteer at the service told us they had begun volunteering following their own personal experience of the fantastic care their loved one had previously received at the service. They told us the staff had been a fantastic support for them and never forgotten them or their loved one for whom the service had painted a memorial artwork. They said, “It’s like coming back to a family and that’s who they are.”

Staff demonstrated passion and commitment to ensure people were able to engage in meaningful activities that continued to give them valued life experiences. Staff volunteered to ensure as many people as possible, were able to regularly engage in activities in the community. Another staff member spoke proudly of raising £2,000 towards the purchase of an interactive table, (a portable interactive activity system designed to support person-centred care and deliver meaningful engagement) which was used to support people that were cared for in bed to engage in activities.

Feedback from people and relatives was positive about the staff team and management. A relative said, “[Registered manager] is strong example of leader, always busy but never too busy for people has her finger on the pulse.” People’s relatives felt included in the home and felt the culture at the service was superb.

We did not look at Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Freedom to speak up during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

We did not look at Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

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 did not look at Partnerships and communities during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Well-led.

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.