Woodlands 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. 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 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 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 ethos within the home directed from the management team, was one where everyone mattered. The sole intention of staff and leaders was to ensure people were at the centre of their care and supported in an inclusive way. One relative said, “Everybody there [Woodlands Care Home] works very hard to make sure [family member] is comfortable and well cared for. I wouldn’t want them to be anywhere else. There is a very good team spirit and that has to come from the top.” Another relative said, “I know the manager and they are very approachable. The whole team is really, and they seem to work well together.”

The provider had exceptionally 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 always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. During our inspection, we noted positive examples of leadership from the registered manager and management team. We saw the registered manager speaking with relatives enquiring about their family member’s wellbeing in a friendly, professional manner. People, relatives and staff were happy with the way the service was run. They were complimentary about the registered manager, who they said was passionate, helpful, supportive and a good communicator. One relative said, “[Family member] has deteriorated quite a lot over the last year which has been a real worry and when [family member] had a bad seizure about the middle of last year the manager and their deputy came to my house to let me know as they knew I was working nights and didn’t want to shock me with a phone call. I was so grateful to them. They were so kind.” Another relative said, “The management team are very good and are proactive and follow through on what they say they will do.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. Staff had access to a speaking up and whistle blowing policy, to ensure all staff understood the importance of raising concerns and knew what process to follow. Staff told us the management team were approachable, and they felt at ease to raise concerns and felt they would be addressed appropriately. Staff told us the management team would be keen to know if anything was troubling them and they would want to rectify it as soon as they could. One member of staff said, “Yes, I am able to raise concerns, and I feel that they are dealt with fairly [Manager’s name] is a proactive manager and takes their role seriously. Communication is important in our roles and [manager’s name] will always give me feedback to any concerns raise.”

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. Staff had access to a staff handbook which included policies and procedures to support their role. All staff received equality and human rights training and were supported to follow the principles set out in the policy known as FREDA (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity and Autonomy).

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. There were systems in place for monitoring the quality of the service provided and highlighting areas for improvement. We saw various audits had been used to make sure policies and procedures were being followed and the home was meeting expected standards. Audits had been carried out periodically and included topics such as care plans, medication records, health and safety and catering audits. This enabled the management team to monitor how the home was operating and staffs’ performance. Where shortfalls were found action plans had been devised to address them.

 

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. The management team worked in partnership with other professionals to improve the service and to ensure people experienced good outcomes. The registered manager had built good relationships with other health professionals such as the district nurse, speech and language therapists and GP surgery. Staff worked closely with these health professionals to provide care and support which was tailored to people’s individual needs. One visiting professional said, “A lot of [my colleagues] will come and have a coffee and do the record keeping at the home, we know we are welcome. At night we have the option to come and sit in Woodlands Care Home rather than the surgery. They [staff] know they can approach any of us.” One relative said, “They [staff] do seem to have a lot of contacts in the community which they draw on when they want to arrange things for residents. Woodlands seems well respected in the community.”

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. Staff and leaders listened to and learnt from the feedback of others, to make changes and improve the service. The registered manager said, “I always think this year, what can we do better than last year, activities is one of those things.” The provider was in the process of refurbishment which will reduce the number of bedrooms they have but improve the size and facilities of the bedroom.