Hazel Lodge 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. 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 told us they had been through a period of change to improve the culture of the home and there had subsequently been staff changes to reflect this. They engaged the staff to be a part of this shared direction through regular team meetings. Minutes from the meetings were reviewed and it showed that staff had input. Staff told us that they felt valued and supported by the management team.

Staff were encouraged to use an electronic system to record any ideas they wished to put forward and to complete surveys that were sent out quarterly. Feedback was given directly to the staff on their ideas and thoughts. Staff morale was positive and staff members felt the culture had improved under the current registered manager.

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. Daily walkabouts were conducted by the senior management to encourage an open culture. The management team were present throughout the home, and staff reported that this was normal practice. Staff felt that the management team were approachable and they could go to them with any concerns.

People knew who the managers were and one person told us, “There had been improvements to the home, this manager is good and gets things done.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider encouraged a positive culture of openness and people felt able to voice their concerns and opinions. There was a whistleblowing policy in place which clearly displayed. One staff member recounted an occasion they had to use the speak up service and said, “I felt it was dealt with thoroughly and very fairly by the regional director.”

Another staff member told us, "I had an occasion where I needed to go to speaking up. I felt it was dealt with professionally and I was kept informed throughout the process to a successful outcome."

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 management team told us they were working on an inclusive culture for the home. There were several staff working at the home that were employed under sponsorship arrangements. The management team informed us that they were working with some people to improve understanding and address some concerns relating to discrimination towards care staff.

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. Quality assurance processes were in place, which gave an effective overview of quality of the service and identified any shortfalls. The results of these audits were used to drive improvement and sustain quality of care. The management team were aware of their responsibilities to report and notifiable events to the Care Quality Commission. There was a process in place for staff to report any incidents through an electronic reporting system. Staff were aware of the process and demonstrated use during the inspection.

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 home had good engagement with the local community. Regular meetings were held at the home by groups such as the Women’s Institute, and some people living at the home were members. The local church provided regular services and pupils from a local school volunteered to read to people. People offered their ideas for activities. One person told us, "Every week I go to the hairdressers on site, not always same time/same day every week as sometimes it is busy."

A relative added, "They had a coffee morning, staff organised afternoon tea with cakes made at home, as a fundraiser for member of staff doing a walk."

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. The management team showed commitment to continuous improvement. They encouraged staff to present ideas for improvement and were open and transparent with how any ideas were put forward or used within the home. Learning from incidents, safeguarding and complaints were shared with staff at team meetings.