Barty House Nursing 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

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.

There were good governance structures within the service which included continuous monitoring of the care people received. Staff enjoyed working at Barty House and told us they felt very supported. The registered manager and senior staff had developed strong links with external healthcare professionals and the wider community which helped ensure people received care and treatment promptly and were provided with activities both within and outside of the service.

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 registered manager had a shared vision, strategy and culture. There was a positive organisational culture. Regular team meetings were held where staff could share ideas or raise concerns. The registered manager said, “Our complete focus here is the resident experience.” This was reiterated by staff who told us, “We all work for the benefit of the residents.”

There was a strong sense of team spirit within the service, which was echoed in staff feedback. Every staff member we spoke with described feeling well-supported and expressed how much they enjoyed working at the service. One staff member told us, “It’s wonderful here. I used to work as agency, I have been to 33 care homes across Kent and this is the best place I have ever been to. I feel so supported here.” Other said, “I love working here, there is lots of flexibility with my personal life. I feel part of a team” and, “I feel very comfortable here and don’t want to move because of it. There is a positive culture and relationships with management, people and the staff team.” Another staff member felt they’d had excellent support from management in their career progression, telling us, “I have never felt as supported in any company, ever.”

The registered manager 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.

We received positive feedback on how well the service was run and the openness of the registered manager. A relative said, “Definitely it runs well, they all seem to know what they’re doing.” They added, “I’ve spoken with [registered manager name]. He is very approachable.” A visitor fed back, “Some years ago, I felt Barty House had lost its way, but since the current management team have been in place it has gone from strength to strength.”

Senior staff had a good understanding of the roles staff had and the need to support staff. One senior staff member said, “I understand what it’s like to be a carer, being out on that floor for 12 hours. I am there for the staff. We support each other. When we step through the door we become professionals.”

Additional support was available for staff when needed. The registered manager operated an open-door policy and hosted bi-monthly mental health awareness drop-ins for residents, relatives and staff. In addition, the provider offered access to ‘My Cranford’, a dedicated mental health and wellbeing resource.

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

All staff we spoke with felt they could raise concerns and would be listened to. One staff member told us, “There are monthly meetings and staff are listened to in these.”

The registered manager said, “When things go wrong, we don’t cover it up. We are very open and listen to people and learn from any mistakes we make.”

The registered manager valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. Senior staff told us, “People come to work here where they may not have felt so comfortable elsewhere. We have overseas people come here. Staff are able to express themselves within their own boundaries.”

Despite this, several people mentioned that they occasionally experienced difficulties due to language barriers with staff. One person told us, “It’s communication. It makes me nervous to say anything as it can be taken out of context. You have to work so hard to translate accents.” A second said, “Language is a barrier. It’s embarrassing for both of us (staff and myself).” We brought this to the attention of senior staff during our visit, and immediately after our inspection an in-house survey was conducted to assess the extent of the issue. The registered manager told us, “We will review people’s feedback and consider what action to take. It may be that we look at individual people and ensure that they receive care from only certain staff.”

The registered manager believed in promoting from within. They told us, “We like to move people (staff) through the system. We have students here who may come as a volunteer and then they start working with us and progress internally. We have a lot of student nurses come to Barty House for placements. I encourage it because I believe in the system. It is a good opportunity as well for them to see what a care home nurse has to know as opposed to working in the NHS.”

The registered manager had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality, sustainable care, treatment and support.

Quality assurance and audits were regularly carried out to assess the standards within the service. The audits covered areas such as infection control, care plans, and mealtimes. Walkaround audits were also conducted routinely by senior staff. Where shortfalls were identified, these were actioned. For example, the recruitment of a ‘care planner’ to review each person’s care plan with them for its accuracy and content. This demonstrated the registered manager was continuously reviewing the service for its effectiveness and taking action where improvements were needed.

The registered manager 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.

In addition to strong links with the local GP practice, staff worked with the speech and language therapy team, local hospice and other healthcare therapists. A dedicated multi-disciplinary community team visited the service weekly to assess or treat people. This team included a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, the GP and the care home support team. Senior staff told us, “We can talk about medication or falls or anything else relevant to people.”

In addition, the service hosted student nurse placements. Two students we spoke with told us, “This placement has surpassed our expectations. We have received dedicated time from staff. Staff have been knowledgeable and supportive.”

The service was involved in the local community. Partnerships had been formed with local nursery’s, churches and the local football club. Each week a bus was available to take people to the local shops. The registered manager told us, “It is important we are known in the community. I go to 6th form colleges and host talks about health and social care, I’ve taken part in career days and helped students with interview preparation. I believe in the social care system.”

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

The provider operated a, 'You Said, We Did' initiative, encouraging people and their relatives to share comments and suggestions, which were responded to. For example, when some people expressed concerns that their dignity was not always being upheld, the registered manager responded by arranging additional training for staff to address this.

The service had also undergone recent refurbishment, including redecoration and the installation of new flooring.