Meryton Place 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 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 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 provider had a clear vision and core values, and this was outlined in the statement of purpose and displayed in the main reception area of the home. For example, the vision states, “Our vision is to be the leading provider of truly person-centred and holistic care in the UK and a driving force of care and innovation. Our team will provide ‘all-around care’ by working collaboratively and creating nurturing, homely environment that empower our residents to live meaningful lives.” The service had a strategy and business plan in place. Leaders monitored and reviewed the progress against the delivery of the strategy. The registered manager told us, “The organisation has a strong training team where staff are encouraged to complete further qualifications and apprenticeships.” The registered manager was alert to creating an open culture within the service and this was demonstrated through feedback from people, relatives, staff and partners.

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.

Staff and leaders demonstrated a positive, compassionate, listening culture that promoted trust and understanding between them and people using the service and was focused on learning and improvement. The was a strong leadership structure in place to support the delivery of the service and staff agreed with this. The registered manger and clinical lead told us they felt supported by the wider organisation’s leadership team. Staff told us leaders were proactive and available for any concerns they might have, and they felt leaders had the skills to lead effectively. The registered manager and clinical lead were open and honest during the assessment and shared the ongoing challenges for the service in relation to occupying the vacant beds within the service. They had also confirmed their plans in moving forward with this challenge and were extremely positive about the future. Relatives we spoke with overall were positive about the leaders at the service The registered manager had been at the service since it first opened and demonstrated a caring attitude towards staff and people living at the service.

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

Staff told us they had opportunities to speak up and have their voices heard during supervisions and team meetings. They felt able to approach leaders outside of scheduled meetings to discuss any concerns they had. There was a whistleblowing policy and procedure in place which staff had access to. Supervisions showed staff were regularly able to have their voices heard.

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 were highly complementary about the way the service led on workforce equality, diversity and inclusion. Comments included, “No concerns, all staff are treated fairly, all equally wherever we are from. Doesn’t matter who we are and where we come from, we are treated all the same.” Furthermore, “The service has been very flexible especially for me in adjusting and adapting shifts to fit in with studies.” Another staff member told us about the reasonable adjustment made to support them to stay employed in their role. There were processes in place to ensure staff were treated fairly and equally and their rights were upheld. For example, there was an equal opportunities policy in place. Leaders showed a high level of understanding towards staff and their individual backgrounds and how these may impact on their working and daily lives.

The provider did not always have clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They did not always consistently act on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, or share this with others when appropriate.

For example, we identified an incident involving an unwitnessed fall, which resulted in a person being admitted to hospital, which had not been reported to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or the local authority safeguarding team. Although the person did not sustain any harm and appropriate medical assistance was sought, the registered manager acknowledged, when this was brought to their attention, that the incident should have been reported in line with statutory requirements. We also identified one person at risk of falls whose care plan contained conflicting information regarding their fall’s history. Additionally, two people who were assessed as high risk of falls were not being checked on hourly, as specified in their care plan. PRN (as needed) medicine protocols were not always clear, specifically, whether the stated maximum dose referred to a single administration or a 24-hour period. Although no harm to people was identified from these concerns, they had not been proactively identified through the provider’s internal auditing processes.

However, there were governance, management and accountability arrangements in place. There was a policy and procedure in place for the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data, records and data management systems. Information was used effectively to monitor and improve the quality of care. There was a service improvement plan in place which identified areas of improvement, priority ratings, target dates and progress update. Mock inspections of the service were being completed by an independent company to review the quality of the service, and the last inspection took place in August 2024 There was a clinical risk register in place and monthly clinical assurance meetings were taking place which was used to identify current and future risks. Regular monthly audits were taking place, and the business continuity plan identified areas of risk and what to do in an emergency.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement.

People told us the service worked with professionals on their behalf. Professionals confirmed the service worked with them to develop and improve care for people, and highlighted the added benefits provided to support people’s wellbeing and maintain their connection to the local community.

The service organised a variety of events throughout the year, creating opportunities for people and their relatives to spend time together in a safe and supported environment. For example, an Easter event and summer fair have been held previously, and a VE day celebration was taking place on the day on of our onsite visit, which featured themed decorations, entertainment, and food. These events were welcomed by both the relatives and families and gave them the opportunity to spend quality time together in a safe environment.

The service had a hairdressing salon with a regular visiting hairdresser, and people could also have their own hairdresser use the facilities free of charge. A café in the main lobby offered free hot drinks and cakes, for resident and visitors. We saw the space being utilised by residents during our inspection. A modern dining room, set with crockery and linen, could be booked free of charge for family gatherings. Families could choose to enjoy a 3-course meal prepared by the service, bring their own food, or order takeaways. This meant that families could enjoy a meal and spend quality time with people living in the service in a designated dining area.

Outside areas were well-maintained and accessible, with benches and seating areas for residents and visitors to enjoy. The service also had a cinema room where weekly films were shown, there was also access to a free popcorn machine. Residents and their families could also book the cinema room for private at no extra cost. The provider gave an example of where they had ‘hosted’ a person and their family members in the cinema room at Christmas time due to them all living in different parts of the country. This gave the family the opportunity to come together at a special time of the year to celebrate together.

The service had built up strong links with the local community. For example, the local bowling club regularly visited and hosted events for residents. The service also developed relationships with the nearby school, displaying children’s artwork and a playschool had performed a nativity play for the service. These initiatives supported people living in the service to be integrated into their local communities and assisted with intergenerational relationships resulting in a positive impact on all parties.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always 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 provider had a dementia strategy in place and had involved dementia-friendly design specialists during the initial planning of the building. There was also a dedicated integrated COVID-safe visiting room, which allowed visitors to enter the main building from the outside whilst people who lived in the service could access the room from the inside. The partition could be used when needed to maintain safety and could be retracted when not in use for the room to be utilised for other things. The service also promoted meaningful engagement through innovative projects. For example, a gardening initiative allowed residents and staff to grow produce such as tomatoes and carrots, which were then used in the kitchen for meal preparation. This initiative helped improve people’s mental health and they also experienced an increased enjoyment from growing and eating their own food.

One person who used the service and had a background of community involvement, was being supported by the service to become a ‘resident champion.’ This role was designed to welcome and support new people coming into the service, helping them to settle in and feel connected to the people already there. The registered manager told us, “This would also give the person a sense of purpose and a feeling of ‘belonging’ in the service and community in which they now lived in.”

Additionally, the service introduced “activity grab bags” containing puzzles, crosswords and other games and materials, which were made available in the main communal area for people, relatives and staff to use. This meant people and their families had a wide variety of resources to access which allowed them to participate whenever they wanted.