Northway 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

At the last inspection we found a breach of regulation 17 because quality monitoring systems had not identified shortfalls raised at the inspection. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and they were no longer in breach of regulations.

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 and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and understanding challenges and the needs of people.

The care home had had a high number of managers since the provider took over which had led to concerns and instability at the home. However, the new manager had been in post since July 2025 and had put in place measures to raise standards and improve the culture. They told us their vision for the home was for everyone to be safe and happy.

One visiting relative told us, “The changes I’ve seen have been remarkable.” A member of staff said, “It’s really good here. There have been lots of changes and residents are much happier now.” Throughout our visits we found there was a happy atmosphere with lots of laughter.

The provider had inclusive leaders 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 new manager had applied to the Care Quality Commission to be registered. The manager had a wealth of experience in the care sector. They were open, approachable and aware of, and transparent about, shortfalls in some areas of the service. They had a good knowledge of the people and staff at the home and were committed to making improvements to the care and support people received.

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

People and staff felt able to speak up to raise any concerns. A whistle blowing and complaints policy was displayed in the main hall of the home. All staff were aware of the whistle blowing policy, but all felt they could raise concerns at the home and were confident they would be listened to.

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 a diverse workforce at the home. All staff said they felt valued and respected. One new member of staff said they had been warmly welcomed to the home.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver good quality care and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate.

There were effective quality monitoring systems which included audits, staff supervisions and observations of practice. From these audits the manager had created an action plan to make sure shortfalls identified were addressed.

The provider had increased staffing levels and strengthened the senior team. This helped to improve leadership and direction for less experienced staff which led to improved outcomes for people.

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.

Staff engaged with people and their families to make sure they felt included and had opportunities to share their views. This included meetings for relatives to keep them up to date with changes at the home.

The activity worker had made connections with local groups to enhance the homes connection with the wider community.

The provider focused on continuous learning and improvement across the organisation. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people.

The manager and senior staff team were committed to making ongoing improvements to the home and the lives of people who lived there. Throughout the inspection they were open to feedback and transparent about challenges faced.