Thornhill Health Care

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 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. The registered manager and staff shared clear values that focused on delivering person centred care and promoted independence. The registered manager had a clear vision to steadily grow the service by recruiting more staff and taking on further packages of care. They had faced some challenges with commissioning further packages of care. This vision was shared by staff, who were keen to take on further hours of work. We asked the staff if they felt supported by the registered manager. A staff member told us, “Yes, I feelsupported.” Another staff told us, “Yes. We are trained to provide care for each individual promoting their independence and dignity.”

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. The registered manager was involved with the day to day running of the service. This included supporting people. They were visible and knowledgeable about their role. They had undertaken a leadership qualification to support them in their role. There was good oversight of people’s care, risk and managing quality at the service. People and staff spoke positively about the leadership of the service. We asked people if they felt the service was well managed. A person told us, “I am happy with this service, and I wouldn't want to change a thing. I am home and that’s where I want to be.” Another person told us, “They manage my needs with no grumbles from me.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The registered manager promoted a culture, where staff and people could speak up freely. Staff meetings and supervisions were used to discuss any concerns they had. Where staff felt things could be improved, this was discussed with the registered manager. Staff could also contact the registered manager by phone. We asked the staff if they felt supported in their role and able to speak up. A staff member told us, “Yes, the manager is approachable and available when needed. Communication is clear, and I feel listened to and supported when I raise concerns or need guidance.”

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 registered manager told us they had a diverse workforce. They used staff meetings and supervisions to break down any barriers and cultural differences. They promoted an inclusive workforce who supported each other.

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. The registered manager had established governance systems which were being used to effectively audit the service. Audits of care plans, risk assessments, recruitment and training were taking place. The registered manager had a business continuity plan in place. This contained information about contingency plans in the event of an emergency. For example, staff absence, bad weather and fuel shortages.

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 was part of a network with other registered managers nationally. They shared good practice, updates and supported each other. They also attended care conferences and webinars.

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. People and staff views of the service were actively sought. This helped the registered manager to identify any learning and improvements needed. The registered manager worked closely with people and the staff team. Feedback from staff was sought through supervisions and staff meetings. The meeting minutes clearly recorded any actions arising from these meetings and were shared with the staff team. Feedback had been sought from people regarding the registered manager’s competency. Some positive feedback had been given, in the form of receiving online reviews. We spoke to the registered manager about devising questionnaires for people, staff and relatives. This would help the service to monitor the quality of care given to people. This was something the registered manager looked to put into place.