Sheepwalk 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 has remained 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 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. Staff at all levels worked together to provide quality care and support to people living at the home. The atmosphere in the service on the day of inspection was calm and relaxed.

The registered manager led by example and empowered people to live full lives. The registered manager and staff knew people very well and understood the challenges they faced. Support was tailored to meet individual needs. The registered manager said, “We had our own values as a home, we are now on the Consensus [provider] ones. We have the Consensus kindness poster up. We got someone to write down something they value as a support worker and what they bring to the home. We like to have fun; we like to make people smile. Staff will tell you it’s to keep people safe but also to have fun and make people smile.”

There was an on-call system for staff to use if needed for things that happened when management weren’t on site. A staff member told us, “On call for anything like at weekends, there are numbers in office, if we have a problem like we had a flood one time I phoned on call and they sort it out for us, or staff members that haven’t come in we phone on call as well.”

This meant people benefited from being supported by a team that worked together with shared values and a clear focus on delivering high-quality care.

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 openness and honesty.

Members of the wider management team also knew people living at Sheepwalk House and were known to staff. A regional director visited regularly, and the registered manager told us they felt very well supported and listened to. Staff commented on the support of the organisation and the sense of belonging to a supportive wider community.

Relatives knew the registered manager and felt able to raise any issues if needed. One relative said, “The manager is amazing, they seem to have staff that know their needs, they understand [relative], outbursts are minimum, still get the odd one, they manage it well.” This meant people benefited from leadership that promoted a positive, supportive, and inclusive culture.

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

Managers had an ‘open door policy’ which meant people, staff and families could approach them at any time if they had any concerns. The registered manager said, “I ask them [staff] in supervisions if they have any concerns or worries and they always say they will come and ask if they have any questions or say if they have any concerns. When we have a team meeting, we have an agenda, but I will always ask if they have anything they want to bring. Sometimes I start with that, and I give everyone a turn to say something.”

Staff we spoke with were confident that their voices were heard and action would be taken. The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up, and their voice would be heard. A staff member told us, “Could talk to someone about anything 100% - I honestly love it, it (the home) deserves loads of credit I just love it so much.” This meant people were supported by a team that felt confident to raise concerns.

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. There was an inclusive and fair culture with equality and equity for staff. Flexible working was offered and available. Adjustments were put in place to allow staff members to be able to practice their religion.

All staff were positive about working at Sheepwalk House and felt they were treated with respect. All staff had been supported with their professional development. Staff had received robust training and opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills such as with LGBTQ+ training and menopause training.

The registered manager said, “We have a diverse team. It makes the home to have people from different backgrounds and age groups. People are able to share their experiences as well. We have had a few people who have said about cooking things from where they have come from. It is good to do the LGBTQ+ training and included information about people with learning disabilities.”

This meant staff felt valued and empowered to bring their whole selves to work, fostering a culture of authenticity and inclusion that positively impacted people using the service through more empathetic, personalised, and responsive care.

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.

Some of the issues we identified during our assessment had not been identified by the provider prior to our visit. This highlighted a gap in their internal quality assurance processes; however, the impact was mitigated by their responsiveness to feedback. The home was going through a period of change as there was a new owner of the company. Documentation was being amended and new policies being implemented. Some policies had not been reviewed whilst awaiting the new policies coming into effect. The provider took all feedback on board and addressed any issues or had a clear plan of how to fix any problems.

There was a new comprehensive programme of audits to review aspects of the service. The registered manager completed internal checks including checks of people’s monies, care plan reviews, and medicine audits. In addition, the provider completed regular checks. Completed documentation was clear and detailed. This process was not yet embedded.

During our on-site visit there was an issue with the safe which held each person’s bank cards and money. The service worked as a team to try and fix the issue and immediately reported the issue to the manager. The management team had a locksmith on site within a couple of hours and a new safe was delivered soon after that. They were proactive in rectifying the issue without any impact to service delivery in the home.

The provider worked in partnership with others to help ensure people received joined-up care that met their needs. They shared information and learning with health and social care professionals and collaborated to support continuous improvement.

Staff and the management team were open and transparent, and they collaborated with all relevant external stakeholders and agencies. The service worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to achieve good outcomes for people. External agencies told us they had no concerns about the service.

People were involved in getting to know their local shops and businesses. Sheepwalk House were involved in delivering the local ‘Ravenshead Newsletter.’ The registered manager told us, “They like it delivered on the day, and they are grateful we do it and bring us biscuits and chocolate. We do this with people who use the service. It was advertised in the paper, and my deputy thought it would be a good idea. We have been doing it for at least a couple of years as we have had 2 Christmas presents from them. Some people locally didn’t know we were here before that. We also go to craft fairs, picnics etc.” This meant people benefited from links with the wider community, enhancing their support networks and wellbeing.

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 and effective practice.

The provider was committed to driving improvement in the service. A staff member told us, “It’s always a work in progress. We will ask what’s working well and what’s not working well, and you get to find out if there are problems. People are very honest and open, and we’ve got to work together as a team.”

The registered manager told us that an issue had been identified regarding the culture at the service. They told us how they had addressed this and said, “One of the staff team sat down and made sure everyone [staff] gave someone a positive compliment that was work related as they noticed a few problems forming. They were also able to pick up things they weren’t happy about before it became something big. They sat next to people they didn’t have such a close relationship with, and it broke the ice and the team got on better afterwards.”

This meant people benefited from a service that actively learned and adapted to deliver better care.